Stories Untold
by BrickSheep
Summary: The Shepard will always protect her flock of sheep even if it was a foreign one she had yet grown familiar with. AU
1. Chapter 1

Death. She had gone through it before. It was an old friend that had embraced her in darkness and it left Shepard wondering if death had to be so _dark._ It was peaceful though – floating in nothingness – with no thoughts at all. When she was alive she'd think non-stop about her relationships, political conflicts, dangerous situations, and war plans. It felt nice to have her mind off of everything for a change. She didn't have to care about anyone in this big black empty space but fate always did have a funny way of saying hello. If fate and death were rivals, Shepard was sure they'd be fighting pretty hard over her right now, because the minute her eyes cracked open she knew something was horribly wrong. Her so-called peaceful death gave her a rude awakening.

With aching bones, the red-haired woman struggled to get onto her feet, and examined her surroundings. The greenery was a pleasant surprise, one that Shepard had sorely missed during the war against the Reapers, because she remembered seeing destruction everywhere she looked. That led to the question though, _what had happened during the time she was unconscious?_ Everything looked completely fine – as if untouched by the Reapers' influence. It seemed unlikely, impossible even, for a planet to have such life in it after the destruction that had been done. She could see the cleanliness of her surroundings even through her darkened helmet and it was a scene that seemed to come straight out of a story book.

All reasonable thoughts tossed away – Shepard narrowed her eyes – when she came to the realization that she was in unknown territory. Anything was possible and she could possibly tick off an alien species of sorts or even humans if there was a human colony living in the area. Fingering for her gun, Shepard had simply done the action out of habit, but she was genuinely shocked when she found her N7 Crusader still on her back. The beautiful shotgun was a sight for sore eyes, a familiarity she gladly welcomed, and she was happier than a cowboy riding a bull. Flipping her arm into view, she sighed in relief to see her omni tool still equipped as well, and suddenly she was a whole lot thankful for being on a stranded planet with all of her tools.

From the looks of it, she still had some medi-gel left but it didn't look like it would last long. She was certainly no scientist nor doctor, so Shepard had no general idea on how to replicate and create medi-gel by herself. Considering this, she knew she would have to go the rest of her adventures on this planet without medi-gel after it was all gone, and she would have to revert to basic medical skills. That meant binding her wounds by herself and seeking medical attention in different ways. The idea itself wasn't too comforting so she'd have to save as much medi-gel as she could.

Shepard finally collected details from her surroundings. She was near a town, one not too far away, but it looked like it would take quite some time walking to it. If she was lucky, she'd be able to find someone who knew what was going on, and maybe they'd be friendly too. Shepard would have to try her best to suppress battle emotions if she wanted to get along with the residents on this planet. As much as the soldier in her screamed to be wary – the diplomatic side knew that she couldn't make friends if she pointed a gun in their face. One couldn't help but be suspicious if they were in Shepard's situation though because _someone_ could have landed Shepard here and took off. What other explanation could there be? That she teleported without any device through supernatural means? Unlikely.

Mentally preparing herself for the journey ahead, Shepard now had the knowledge that it would take quite some time to get to the village, and hopefully they'd have welcoming arms. Food and water would be nice. As much as the sea looked tempting, Shepard knew far better than to drink dirty salt sea water. Natural instincts yearned to take a taste though but Shepard's rationality gave a plain and simple 'no' to the rest of her body. Taking a step forward, Shepard's bones creaked, as she began to walk in a steady pace into the forest of trees before her. N7 Crusader safely placed on her back, Shepard understood that if she couldn't reach it in time if she was attacked, then she could use a nasty wave of biotics towards potential enemies. She didn't _want_ to use her biotics but it was a potential scenario that could become reality.

" _I want my mommy!"_

The voice was clear. Shepard's translator easily translated it through her ears and registered it as Spanish. _Spanish._ Could she possibly be on Earth? The thought lifted her heart with hope. Could things have increased in beauty so drastically after a war? Didn't it take a while for things to get better? For trees to grow back? For greenery to prosper once more?

 _'Don't get your hopes up too high Shepard.'_ Shepard inwardly told herself. Jumping to conclusions didn't always help her reach the complete and true conclusion. Shepard couldn't just ignore the cry in the grove of trees though and began to look for the source of the voice. Steadily avoiding spots where she could be easily seen, she moved tree to tree, peering past their trunks each time. It wasn't long until she finally spotted a little girl crouching near the floor, crying her eyeballs out, and wheezing sobs. The girl was very human, Shepard could recognize her kind anywhere, but what shocked her was the weird android looking creature sitting next to the little girl. He was consoling her, with pats on the back, and soft whispers that Shepard could barely hear.

What sort of manner of thing was that? It looked like a robot but it acted… _human._ It strikingly reminded her of EDI on the Normandy.

Shepard scanned her options. She could make herself known and attempt to help them, stay in place and wait for them to do something, or walk away. The first option screamed at her but she wasn't too sure it'd be a good idea. They might be hostile but there was only one way to find out if it was the truth.

"Do you guys need any help?" Shepard's voice was automatically translated into Spanish. The girl and the robot looked up abruptly. Although Shepard could not discern the robot's expression she could see the little girl's expression quite clearly. Relief. The little girl shot up in the spot, tears already drying up, and she almost was about to run forward before the robot grabbed the little girl by the arm to prevent her from running forward at all. Clearly a sign of hesitation.

" _Who are you?"_ The android spoke.

"I'm Shepard." Shepard spoke carefully as to not intimidate the android. It would do no good if they ran away on her now. If she could help them maybe they'd help her in return to find out where she was.

" _Why do you wear such strange armor?"_ The robot gestured with his head to her clothing. _"Do you not have a face underneath that helmet?"_

Shepard thought of taking her helmet off but decided against it. It actually might be better to walk around anonymously until she could find a way back home. If she revealed her identity they would know where to find her if she needed to go on the run and conceal herself into society. She needed to consider all possibilities, after all. If she planned ahead, certain situations may not occur, but then again she just might be _really paranoid._

"I struggle breathing." Shepard lied straight through her teeth. "This helmet filters the air for me so that my lungs won't work so hard until they're at the state of collapse." Hoping the bold-faced-lie would get past the android, Shepard could feel him stare straight through her helmet, before he finally continued to question, " _What about the armor?"_

Ah. Right.

The armor.

"I was cosplaying."

The little girl stared at Shepard questioningly but the robot seemed to completely understand what she was talking about. Laughing softly, the robot chuckled, with a clear vibration in the back of his voice that reminded Shepard once again the he was far from human.

 _"I get it. Like one of those superheroes right? I'm not sure which one you're supposed to be. Are you an original character or something?"_

' _Superheroes?'_ Shepard thought skeptically. She had only read about superheroes on Earth's published comics but she had never thought that they actually _existed._ Either she was misinterpreting what this Spanish android was saying or there were legit superheroes running around protecting the land Shepard was currently standing on. Either way she had hit the jack-pot and it'd be perfect cover for her. Pretending to be a fan for superheroes. Spectacular.

"It wasn't easy to make but it was worth it. Don't I look great?"

 _"Ha. Yeah. You look awesome. Wish I could have thought of something so stylish."_

He thought her armor was stylish. How cute.

 _"My name is Sinnig'cm. It's long so people just call me Sin."_

Shepard cocked a brow. Sin? Seriously? That wasn't the greatest of nicknames to have but she wasn't going to admit it aloud. Gesturing to the little girl, Sin then introduced her, " _And this is Katy. I was baby-sitting when we decided to play near the forest. We went deeper than intended and we've been lost for about two hours now… We can't find our way out. If you could perhaps help us get out of the forest – we would be forever grateful."_

Shepard's mind mulled over the fact that she didn't exactly know where she was either. She could certainly get them out of the forest and back on the beach but she's not sure if that's what they'd actually want. Still – it was worth a shot – because maybe they'd know how to get back home if they saw the beach.

Shepard proceeded to say, "I know how to get to the beach, is that enough?"

Sin looked positively pleased – his eyes lighting up – before he grabbed the little girl's hand and stood up. _"That'd be great."_ He affirmed, nodding his head at Shepard, before squeezing the girl's hand within his in a sign of comfort. Shepard had a feeling that just like she hadn't been telling the whole honest truth to the android, he hadn't exactly been too honest with her either. That much was evident as Shepard finally took in the girl's ragged appearance. The girl had scratches and bruises on her skin and face. The android himself looked like there were dents in his head as if someone had whacked a baseball bat against his metal framing. Naturally, curiosity began to etch at Shepard's skin, but she refrained herself from acting on her impulses. Self-control was indeed a wondrous thing that Shepard had endless gratitude towards, and it was the result of long years of hard-work and training.

The two took a few steps forward as evidence that they were ready to go. Shepard simply turned and retraced her steps. It wasn't too hard to find her way back to the beach, right back where she had first appeared, but she was pretty sure a boat hadn't been there the first time she had woken up in the sand. A small boat, with another android carefully navigating towards the shore, wasn't too far off. Shepard eyed the two in her company and they looked ecstatic.  
"Your ride?" Shepard finally asked.

 _"Yes."_ The robot spoke. _"They probably realized we were missing and were going to look for us. That omnic is a friend of mine – I recognize him even from this distance."_

Omnic. Shepard plastered the word in her brain, filing it away for further research, but for now her best guess was that the robotic species were called omnics. She had never heard such a term before but it had sounded eerily like omni, like her omni-tool, and the omni-gel that could be created out of items. If they were related somehow Shepard knew she could get to the bottom of it. However, for now, it was just information she pushed to the back of her brain. Aware that the boat had finally stopped, the omnic and the little girl both began to step in the water, and Shepard suddenly feared for the omnic with wonder on whether or not he'd short-circuit from stepping in water. Oddly enough, no such thing happened, and Shepard wondered if the omnic was water-proof in some way.

 _"Thank you for your help…"_ The omnic looked over his shoulder. _"We will remember you stranger. We will return for you – to take you off this forsaken island – for the generosity you have given us."_

Wait… forsaken island?

Shepard now knew she was on an island. In the middle of the ocean and for some reason the omnic was insistent on coming back for her. Was something going on in this island?

"Wait what!?" Shepard shouted but they were far too away to hear her as they boarded the boat with the help of the other omnic. Waving at her cheerfully, both Sin and Katy bid her farewell, and Shepard gave a small wave back. Her only help was now going somewhere else in the midst of the ocean and for some reason they all seemed relieved to be rid of this island. Shepard sighed before turning to look back at the village hanging over the forest on a hill ahead of her. It stood there, beckoning her to reach it, and Shepard needed to find out what the hell was going on with this island. Not to mention her _own_ situation that wasn't exactly butterflies and happy fantasies.

Even now, she could hear gun-fire, and the screams of Reapers running towards her. The war had far from left her alone – despite her having left the war – and Shepard wasn't in the right state of mind to adjust to a new situation in just a few minutes. It would take time.

Everything would take time.

Walking back into the forest, Shepard knew she had an adventure waiting for her, even if she was dreadfully tired of adventures.


	2. Chapter 2

The hill was a hard tread upwards, far more grueling than the walk in the forest, but Shepard had been through worse. It's amazing how drastically the landscape could change in an island. A beach, to a forest, then a hill? Mother Earth was truly impressive with how she weaved her magic with beautiful sights. Shepard brought her thoughts of Earth's beauty to a vicious halt when she examined the village just barely one step in front of her. She had half-expected to see a few foreign strangers on the street with noises of chatter or anything of the like but instead she saw empty streets with no life whatsoever.

A calm sea wind blew through the town to create an emptier atmosphere and Shepard was truly wondering what might have happened here. Remembering Sin's words carefully, she remembered he referred it to _'forsaken island',_ and forsaken meant abandoned. Could all of the residents already have left? For what reason would they leave the island? Shepard carefully walked through the silent village with steady steps in a sort of reverence for the ghost-town and peered past half-opened doors to find ransacked huts and houses. Each home she had examined had furniture overturned and items tossed everywhere on the floor. Either the villagers had attempted to get out with haste, or they had been attacked by a group of people, or perhaps something else. It would explain why Sin and Katy looked battered and beaten. They must have ran from something, but if that were the case why would they lie to her? They could have just assumed her to be a resident of the island as well – and in that reason – they would haven't any need to lie to her. It would have been a simple 'we need to get out of here' before heading off to escape.

 _"YOU!"_

The Spanish speaking foreigner boomed their voice behind Shepard. The woman turned swiftly with combative tendencies, hands reached out for a possible biotic push, until she noticed it was a singular old man standing before her. He was trembling with frailty, barely standing up, and he leaned on a make-shift crutch that seemed to be made out of a series of small tree-branches and sticks. The bruises on his face were the first noticeable features Shepard could make out. Soon she came to the white hair on his head, the haggard clothes hanging loosely from his body, and the shoeless wrapped feet. The man took slow steps forward warily to get a better look at Shepard – his eyes lingering on her armor and her helmet. Quite clearly, Shepard supposed, she was wearing strange clothing to him. It wasn't something a common resident would wear, she guessed, and just like Sin the man would most likely question why she chose to wear what she wore.

But against her expectations he completely skipped all of that -

" _Are you trying to play hero!? Haven't you heard that we've all evacuated into the hill!? You would never be able to stand up to slave-traders! They have scientific means beyond us! They'd slaughter you and sell your parts for meat!"_

Shepard was never a good liar. She was a straight, blunt, and honest person. Despite these things the thought of lying penetrated her good integrity and her mind was already mulling over possible lies to use as excuses as to why she had been wondering around in the village. The old man in front of her didn't even seem to think she was a visitor, but surely if she took off her helmet he'd see the difference right away.

 _"Come with me you fool!"_ The man gestured her to follow him. Speechlessly, Shepard jogged up to him, and he looked slightly pleased that she had obeyed him wordlessly. The man turned sharply into a home, generally larger than the rest, before tapping the floor with his crutch. Shepard watched as the floor began to open up, sliding until a tiny slope was shown leading deeper into the ground, with torches lighting up the way. Waiting right in the entrance was another man with an unshaven beard and purple bags seeping underneath his eyes – watching the two of them carefully – before his pretty blues landed on Shepard. Narrowing his eyes, his brows furrowed, as he slowly observed Shepard's appearance to the top of her head and then to the tip of her feet.

" _Who is this? Someone we left behind?"_ The man questioned – Shepard was about to answer – until the old man answered for her.

" _I keep telling you I don't understand you and you still try to talk to me!"_ The old man huffed, shaking a finger at the younger man in scolding. Shepard didn't quite understand what the old man meant until she realized that the man protecting the entrance was actually speaking _Russian._ It was far from what Shepard would expect for an islander to speak but then she recalled the old man's words from a few minutes ago. _Slave-traders._ Could they all be escaped slaves? It'd make sense that they'd all seek refuge in this abandoned village but how would they know about a hidden underground tunnel underneath the village? More questions swirled in Shepard's head but she pushed them aside to assess the situation.

" _Oh – I don't suppose you speak Russian do you?"_ The bearded man asked, eyes hopeful.

Shepard didn't answer.

 _"Wishful thinking."_ The man sulked, moving aside so that they could walk through. _"Go ahead."_

The old-man seemed to have recognized the last two words and nodded briskly. Looking back at Shepard, he gestured towards the slope leading deeper into the tunnel with his chin, and Shepard understood the gesture easily. Again, he wanted her to follow him, and maybe she'd finally be able to get answers if she saw where all the people were. Shepard followed after the old man once more, more cautiously this time, prepared to be ambushed if he had a possible ulterior motives. He seemed like an honest man but one could not judge too quickly on appearances.

It took a few minutes but Shepard began to hear quiet murmurs the deeper they went. It wasn't too long until Shepard was introduced into a new whole world filled with people sitting on the dirty ground, chatting amongst themselves, and sharing what little food they had. The people were great in number, of many skin colors, and those who spoke the same languages sat together in different groups. They all spoke reverently to each other which Shepard supposed was so that they wouldn't attract so much attention above ground. It'd certainly be odd if people began to hear loud voices coming from the ground but then again it might be _too_ deep underground for anyone to hear them. Shepard understood the phrase that came with this situation though - _It's better to be safe than sorry._

Shepard realized her eyes had left the man who had escorted her but he had quickly disappeared into the multitude of people as if he had never been there in the first place. Leaving her to her own devices, Shepard honestly had no clue where to start, and she thought that the only way to figure anything out was to talk to the people. When Shepard finally took a good look of the details of her surroundings, she noticed that she wasn't the only one who looked strange, because there were others who were creating clothing that Shepard had never seen before. They used the traditional needle to sew strange looking dresses and jumpsuits that looked like a spidazzled trucker's uniform.

Children ran past Shepard's legs, giggling amongst themselves, and playing despite not knowing how to communicate to each other. There were even a few animals hanging around, dogs, cats, pigs, sheep, and they even managed to squeeze a horse into the enclosed space. It was chaotic but at the same time it screamed _freedom._ Freedom from those that pursued all of these people.

"You look new."

That language. English. What a relief.

Shepard's eyes averted to an old woman leaning against a wall with an elegantly braided ponytail hanging over her shoulder and a hood hanging over her head. Her old single eye stared into Shepard's helmet, cocking an eyebrow upward, as if to question her appearance.

"So you just came from above the surface? They must have mistaken you for one of their own but I know better. That gun on your back? I've never seen anything like it but you've certainly come prepared. A rescuer perhaps? Or maybe an escaped slave-trader? You're far too loaded with equipment to be a mere slave. Tell me, what are you going to do now that you've found this place?" The old woman asked in her heavy accent, eyeing Shepard carefully with her one unconcealed eye. What interested Shepard the most was the tattoo under the woman's eye, a symbol that Shepard could not recognize, but it looked eerily familiar. Shepard noticed the woman's hands tensing in the silence of Shepard's examination and Shepard took this as a hint to start speaking up. If she simply stayed silent it might have deemed her as a threat.

"I honestly don't know how I got here." Shepard spoke bluntly. "I just woke up on the beach and a lot happened after that."

"Hmm. You don't _sound_ as if you're lying. It's hard to believe you'd just wake up on the beach and end up here."

"Well it's not like I intended to be here." Shepard was tempted to throw off her helmet to massage her forehead from an oncoming headache. "I still have business I need to take care of. _A lot of business._ If I could, I'd be off of this island right now."

"Your business is none of my concern." The woman waved her hand in dismissal. She then quickly changed the subject, "I'm interested in your services."

"We've barely met." Shepard deadpanned.

"No but you are far more capable of doing something for me that no one else in this cavern can do." The old woman spoke softly, her eyes looking at the other occupants secretively, lowering her voice so that they'd be unable to hear onto their conversation. "I do not know if you are a good person. I do not trust you but I _can_ help you get off of this island. All you need to do is help me in return."

"And what do you need?" Shepard spoke, equally in voice volume.

"My sniper rifle. It was taken by one of the slave-traders when they came to scout the island again for any escapees that lost their way. They _know_ we're here but they don't know where. They scout without schedule, choosing days simply because they can, and sometimes they capture a few unsuspecting people. I was one of them but I managed to get out. They captured my rifle in return, however, and if I simply had it in my hands I'd be able to take groups of them out."

"With just a sniper rifle?" Shepard sounded skeptical. This old woman who looked barely healthy enough to walk fifteen feet on her own? "Does that mean you're an excellent marksmen?"

"The best." The old woman replied smugly. "Not many can escape me."

"Suppose I help you…" Shepard spoke hypothetically. "Would you actually get me off the island?"

" _Yes._ " The old woman assured. "I have… friends in high places… although they do not know I'm here. If you find the trader's hideout, I will tell you how to communicate with them, and they'd have this island evacuated by midnight. I'd have to leave quickly though. I cannot let them know I'm here."

"Why?" Shepard's curiosity got the best of her.

"Quite frankly, that's none of your business."

Shepard opened her mouth but then shut it to stop herself from speaking rudely to the old woman.

"Alright. If I do this, can I at least get your name?"

The old woman sighed, picking herself up from the wall, and stretched hard enough that her bones could be heard popping.

"No. My name means more than you could think of. It wouldn't do me any good if you began to shout it out in the world."

Shepard had the line 'you can trust me' at the tip of her tongue but her mouth refused to open. She didn't understand where the woman was coming from but she must have been important in some way to have wanted to conceal her name.

"Alright – where do I begin _grandma_?" Shepard teased light-heartedly.

The woman winced.

"Oh – how degrading. A nickname? I'm quite young you know. I deserve something like _young maiden._ " The old woman gestured to her physique. She stood proudly with her shoulders tugged backwards and her chest puffed out like a skinny puffin. "All joking aside, I'm very serious about my rifle young lady, and I intend for you to also take this seriously. I will even pay you a hefty amount of money if you bring my rifle safely back."

"Wait, you aren't coming with me?" Shepard hesitated.

"Should I?" The old woman asked in return. "I'm not armed. _You are._ Do you expect me to be able to break into a secret base that I barely escaped out of?"

"Fair enough." Shepard then asked, "Where can I find the base? Supposing I even manage to get in, how will I communicate to these 'friends' of yours?"

The old woman smirked.

"The base? It's in the sea."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm open to professional criticism because I'm still working on my writing. I'm not satisfied with my writing but then again I'm never satisfied with anything I do. Please do tell me what you think of this chapter. This is for purely for entertainment purposes, mostly my own, and naturally** **I do not own Mass Effect or Overwatch.**

 **Bishop-Chan: Thank you for taking the time to read the first chapter and looking through it. I hope that this chapter can entertain you.**

 **Akshka: Thank you! :)**

 **Daughter of Ironman06: Thanks for being my first reviewer. I'm truly filled with gratitude.**


	3. Chapter 3

"In the sea?" It peaked Shepard's interest. The first picture that came to mind was a giant submarine, one as big as the Normandy, or a giant bubbled dome sitting in the water strong against the pressure of the sea. Considering if anyone found the secret base themselves, a military of sorts, wouldn't it be easy to be compromised? There were many different ways to find the wreckage of ships in the sea so would the same devices used be able to also detect a giant base underneath the water? Shepard had to keep in mind that there was technology to make objects, large or small, turn invisible. There were also devices to conceal oneself by jamming other devices that could detect them.

"Yes. In the sea." The old woman said in all seriousness. "I do not speak lies."

"How would I get in?"

"Just like us – they have a hidden passageway – it was how I was able to get out. A foolish security guard had led me straight to the exit before I knocked him unconscious. Although I had actually reasoned with myself to turn back and get my rifle I had decided against it. I honestly did not think I'd be provided an opportunity to have it returned to me. My original plan was to have all the people here group together to free the rest of the slaves in the base as a distraction but now that you're here I might not have to resort to such drastic measures. I assume you have enough stealth to get around undetected?"

"If I put my head to it, yes."

"That's good enough for me. If you do not return in two days I will guess you to be dead."

"I won't die." Shepard promised the old woman with an honest belief in her words. She definitely had some close calls in her line of work but she had always made it out in the end. It was a pack of skill and luck that kept her alive in most near-death situations. Besides this, she wasn't ready to die yet, and she wouldn't die anytime soon. She would make sure that she would return safely even if it meant having a few cuts or bruises. "I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"With that kind of attitude, I actually have high hopes for you young lady." The old woman laughed gently, having a soothing effect in the air around them. "Perhaps this will actually succeed."

"You mean to tell me you didn't think it would?"

"At first? I had a guess that if there was a percentage out of 100% then you might have gotten alive or without getting captured with a 12% chance." The woman mused. "Now I think that you have a 50/50 chance of succeeding."

"Simply because I presented determination?"

The woman's eyes grew exceedingly wiser in the short silence between both her and Shepard. It wasn't too long before she finally put out plainly, "A determined attitude can go a long way. I have witnessed it myself. There are amazing things that can be done if you simply put your mind to it. Enough chat though, we have work to be done. I haven't informed you on how to get to the passageway. It's located south of the island. Where we stand is currently in the east-end. The landscape is difficult to describe but I will try my best to give you the details. In the forest of trees to the south, there are markings on the trees that are barely visible, that lead to the passageway."

The woman paused to massage her chin with her hand in a contemplative manner.

"The markings look like scratches from a small animal's claws and it's very light. You will _not_ see it unless you look for it. The markings will lead from tree to tree until you'll eventually come across an outlandish giant stone. _That stone_ opens up if you hit a switch hidden in the trunk of a tree to the boulder's right. The rock will open and you will find a stairwell leading into the sea. Do not be worried because you will enter into tunnels that will be perfectly safe from the ocean depths. You certainly do have a lot of steps to walk down though… approximately seven minutes of walking. I assume that they actually have a hidden elevator somewhere but I have yet to find it. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Shepard affirmed and then repeated for closure, "Markings on trees, follow them, giant stone, a hidden switch in a trunk on the right, and long stairway."

"Yes. That is correct." The woman knelt down onto the ground, perhaps tired from standing for twenty minutes talking to Shepard about the details of her plan. "In the base they have control panels _everywhere._ This thumb drive I managed to conjure up during my escape -…" The woman dug around in her cloak before tugging out a small looking simple thumb drive. "Will automatically connect to a secret channel that belongs to my friends. Once they hear your SOS they'll come to the island, hopefully."

"Hopefully?" Shepard sounded skeptical.

"They haven't been on top of their game for a _long time._ They're all over the place but I trust them more than anything. I warn you, if you lose this thumb drive, all hope for communication to my friends are lost and you will likely not be able to get off this island."

"I won't lose it." Shepard reassured the woman as she grabbed it from her hands. Tucking it in carefully into a slot of her armor, the old woman nodded her head in agreement with Shepard's actions, and turned towards the slope that had led Shepard where she was standing now.

"The Russian man will not question you when you leave so do not worry about getting past him. If you get out of this alive, think about all the lives you will free, including those that are trapped in the base. What you are doing is truly the work of heroes."

"Yeah? Well I'm no hero." Shepard stated. "Just a person who wants to help."

"That's all I need." The old woman claimed. "Now go!"

Shepard didn't hesitate. Already on her way to the exit, she was prepared for the oncoming fight that was waiting for her, and she knew that battle wouldn't end for her at this rate. She was always a good Samaritan - willing to help someone who needed it - even if it meant at the risk of her own life. She might have been tired of battle, sure, but she wasn't tired of helping people. It was this that she would do what was best. Fight. Little did she know of the old woman staring at her back, hope in the corner of her cloudy eyes, with high expectations for a stranger she didn't even know.

.

South was not hard to find directional wise. Just as the woman had stated earlier the marks on the bark of the trees were _definitely_ hard to find. Shepard had been looking for them for a full on forty minutes before she found the slightest shimmer of mismatched color of bark in the corner of her eye. The scratch marks did look like animal claw marks. It'd look completely natural if one wasn't looking for it. It was an excellent form of disguise as hints which determined that you were getting closer to their passageway.

Finally, after another thirty minutes of walking, Shepard was greatly relieved to find a giant stone standing tall and proud. The sun beamed above it, almost majestically, as Shepard noticed its features. It was of great stature and it towered over Shepard with about two times her height. Other than that it looked out of place standing in the middle of the forest. One might think it to be a historical marker or a strange way of nature showing it's power. Yes, by just plopping down a rock in the middle of a forest, when there were no other giant boulders in sight. How it came to be, Shepard would never know, but she did know that she had to find the switch for the opening in the trunk of a tree to it's right.

There were several trees standing closely to one another. Any farther and Shepard guessed that she'd have missed the switch hidden in the tree's trunk. The only tree that visibly had a hole in it, where one could stick their hand in it, stood tall and slanted with it's roots sticking out wildly from the ground. It was as if the tree's roots were struggling to keep the tree standing and without it's attempted strength it'd fall right over on it's side.

Shepard approached the tree and peered into the hole with interest. Sure enough, there was a small button connected to a wire running downwards in the trunk, and Shepard was satisfied with the clicking noise that was made when she flipped the switch upwards. Instant rumbling began and Shepard turned sharply to see the rock breaking into two. Opening up into a crack in the Earth - she could see the stairwell that the old woman had described. Taking a deep breath, Shepard understood that the minute she stepped on the first step that there would be no turning back, but the reluctant thought wasn't enough to keep her from her sense of duty to her fellow human being's safety. Stepping into the stairwell, only a few steps down, the rock began to close on top of her. When it finally shut completely, Shepard was surrounded by darkness, but the problem was easily fixed when Shepard grabber her gun from her back. Her gun was like her own personal flashlight, shedding light on each step, while she cautiously stepped down.

Carefully for what seemed to be a long period of time, Shepard slowly took step by step, with worries that she could trip down all the stairs and be found with various broken bones and body parts. The stairwell was much darker than she imagined it to be and what made it more nerve-wracking was the lack of railing on the sides. Certainly, there were walls on both sides of Shepard, but she couldn't _grab onto the wall_ if she was falling down. Shepard felt immense relief when she began to see light at the bottom of the stairwell which no doubt led straight into the tunnels that the old woman had talked about. At the last step, Shepard was hit with a sense of wonder, at the clear tunnels lit by dim flickering light-bulbs. The sea was as clear as day and Shepard was breath-taken at the beauty of the depth of the ocean but her sight-seeing ended when she realized that she would be compromised if she was found just staring at the sea in this narrow undersea tunnel.

Pulling her N7 Crusader off her back, Shepard crept slowly, preventing as much noise as humanely possible. The only noise that could heard was the near-silent foot-falls of Shepard's steps until she encountered a door leading into a giant building. There was no key-hole nor keypad so Shepard was able to turn the door knob without worrying of setting off any alarms. Peeking through the slight opening she had created by opening the door just barely a few centimeters, she saw a spacious hallway, and no guards standing at any of the walls or corners.

"Bad security." Shepard murmured to herself thoughtfully. It looked like it would have been easy to escape this place because barely anyone was guarding the exit. Shepard had been prepared to shoot a few trader's arms off but there was no one to be seen. Shepard concluded that there was no guards but then she began to look for cameras. No cameras could be found either and she was left visibly stumped as to why the security would be so relaxed. Maybe these slave-traders weren't as professional as she thought? But if that were the situation why would it be so hard for all of the residents of the island to get off? They could just roam freely with the size of their numbers because it would most probably overwhelm the slave traders numbers extremely.

The old woman hadn't told Shepard where her rifle was located so Shepard was left to Plan A, explore the base for herself. If she found a computer of sorts, she could use her omni tool to hack into it, and maybe it'd release the information she was looking for. Maybe they held all equipment they captured in the same place? It would be much more convenient for them to be able to walk in and out of a room full of all the equipment they had taken from their prisoners.

Shepard walked into the hallway and stayed close to the walls. Gently placing her back against a wall as she gazed over the corner of the hallway, she finally found two guards, chatting quietly but not too quiet so that she was unable to hear what they were saying.

"Imagine the money we'll get-..." One drawled to the other. Shepard didn't pay much attention after that upon seeing the guns they held in their hands. Putting her shields up, Shepard aimed her N7 Crusader over the corner, and shot one of them without warning. The other was shocked when his comrade fell to the floor and aimed towards Shepard too late. Shooting him with equal accuracy through the shoulder, the man fell onto the floor, struggling to breathe. Shepard didn't shoot to _kill_ but they might as well be considered dead from blood loss if they didn't care for themselves. Although she didn't expect the first man to faint immediately upon impact, maybe out of shock, she was pleased to see that the other man was awake as daylight. Struggling, of course, but alive.

Jogging up to them, she pointed her shotgun to the man's head, and he could only stare into Shepard's eyes with _will_ to live. A want to survive - to make it past this - but sadly she had no pity on him.

"Tell me where I can find all of the stolen equipment." She threatened, "Or else I'll put a bullet in your head."

"I - I don't know!"

"Liar!" She yelled, bringing the gun closer to the skin in the middle of his forehead.

"I - I - I really d - don't know!" He shouted in fear for his life. "They don't give us low-level guards that information!"

Shepard stood impatiently as he trembled underneath her gaze. Sighing with disappointment, she used the brunt of her gun to hit the man across the head, and as predicted he fell unconscious onto the ground next to his companion. Searching his body for any possible forms of communication she had found a walkie talkie in his belt and crushed it the moment she pulled it out. It wouldn't do her any good if he woke up to contact everyone in the base of her appearance. After she was finished she proceeded to search the other man for anything out of the ordinary that could contact a superior. All she found was a hidden holster for his gun on his left calf and a security card.

For safety, Shepard slipped out his security card from it's holder, and slid it into the same slot with the thumb drive hiding in her armor. If she needed to pass anything the card might work, supposing that it would be needed to open a door, or to surpass anything else for that matter.

Lightly jogging through the hallway, Shepard came to another stop at the next corner, and looked through the next hallway. Seeing no one, Shepard proceeded scout her surroundings, repeating the process of looking over corners over and over until she finally came across a heavily secured hallway. Guards were everywhere holding guns tightly to their chests as they stood in front of a secured door.

 _Could she take them all on her own?_

Well, she had taken out several reapers and a group of brutes by herself, but she usually had the help of her team most of the time.

 _'Nova explosion'_ was the single thought that ran through her mind. She could use it to push them all back. Biotic pushes were also useful for knocking people out so that might work too. She might not even have to use her gun, in this case, and they wouldn't even see it coming.

Tucking the shotgun behind her back, she flexed her fingers, and walked straight into the heavily armed hallway.

All guards aimed at her just mere seconds away from shooting her on reflex.

A strange woman wearing armor just randomly walking into the hallway? Any person would think it to be strange and even intimidating. They had a valid reason for aiming to kill her.

Hands raised, Shepard gave out a powerful biotic push, and the first defense of guards were thrown backward. Some fainted, as intended, but others were still awake yet in a state of shock. With stern orders to shoot, yelled by what Shepard thought to be the superior of all the guards, they all did as commanded. They shot.

And Shepard's shields held up.

Then again, they were going down _fast._

Nova explosion it was.

The force emitted from Shepard had an instant effect on the entire hallway. Guards were thrown to the walls, dropping their guns in the process, as they tried to save themselves from being thrown against their will. Most were overwhelmed with Shepard's biotics, unable to get up, but Shepard could see them bringing trembling hands to their ears as if to contact someone. She couldn't have that. Using one more biotic push, she rendered all of them helpless, as they got thrown deeper into the hallway.

All Shepard could now find was unconscious bodies littered on the floor.

The door that had been strongly guarded had no special way of getting in. There was just a singular button on the wall that Shepard had pushed the minute she saw it and the door flew open automatically. Half-expecting to see equipment on shelves and drawers she saw nothing of the like. Instead she saw cell blocks lined up in straight lines with alerted guards who's heads flew to Shepard's arrival.

Grabbing her N7 Crusader as fast as she could, she aimed to without thought this time, knowing that she simply didn't have the time to care where she shot a guard when she was in a compromised position.

Her shields, having restored normally, were protecting her from oncoming bullets. In turn her enemies had no form of protection and they were shot down like rag dolls.

" _Could it be... help?"  
"What's going on?"  
"Who's there?"_

Voices began to run through her translator in all different languages. Looking into cells she could see series of people packed together in uncomfortable manners and she glanced at each locked cell door for ways to release them. Forgetting temporarily that she was here to get the old woman's rifle, she looked for a way to get all of these poor people out of their cells, and could find no way.

"Is there a switch to get everyone out!?" She yelled out in English.

A man placed his arm through the cell bars, pointing wordlessly to a control panel on the wall, and Shepard went to it without question. Many buttons were presented to her, alongside wires but what interested her most was the USB slot in her view. Pulling out the thumb drive, she stuck it into the slot, and waited patiently for _anything_ to happen. She was a bit perplexed when nothing happened in result but she had no time to worry anymore.

"Which button do I press?" She asked out loud for any person who could understand her.

"The little grey one on the side!" A woman shouted out at the top of her lungs. "That's what they press to open all the prison doors!"

"Thank you!" Shepard shouted back hastily, slamming her thumb onto the button.

All cell doors nosily opened and prisoners began to filter out eagerly. Soon enough the entire prison area was filled with panicking people - when they realized that they had no idea on how to get out - and they all glanced towards her for instruction even though barely a third of them could even understand what she would be telling them in English. Her translator was supposed to work so that all of them would be able to hear her speak in her language but right now she was far too concerned with fulfilling the mission she had come to do in the first place. Find the rifle.

"Does anyone know where the stolen equipment is!?" She shouted to top all of the panicked voices.

" _I-I do!_ " A timid little Italian girl raised her hand as high as she could. _"When they pulled me into here I saw them open up a wall upstairs. It was full of weapons."_

Shepard placed her shotgun back on her back and smirked. Cracking her neck and her knuckles simultaneously she suggested, "I think we should all get something to defend ourselves with, don't you?"

.

It was chaotic.

Almost each prisoner had a weapon in their hand, pistols, rifles, and Shepard herself was looking at a rifle that looked like no other weapon. When she first laid eyes upon it she had thought it to be the old woman's immediately, looking as foreign as the woman herself, in the group of weapons that had been found hanging on a wall. The rifle itself was a work of beauty with evidence that it was well taken care of. Shepard could find not bullets in the rifle but instead found odd tiny bottles of golden liquid inside.

Each escaped slave had taken watch for her and after examining the rifle for a few minutes Shepard began to hear gunfire.

They were caught.

"Everyone!" She called for all of their attention. "Follow me if you want to live!"

With shouts of cheer and joy they followed right on her heels as she retraced her steps. Over-stepping half of the guards she had personally knocked out or shot, she presented everyone with the stairwell, and urged them upwards. They all did as told, hardly in a single-file line, but they were more organized than predicted. Shepard made sure to see that all of them made it up the stairwell, being the last one at the bottom of the stairs, and when the final escaped slave ran up the stairs ecstatically Shepard was following right after them. Each time she looked over her shoulder she could find a group of guards growing in number as they followed them upwards, shooting blindly in the dark, and Shepard in return pushed them with her biotics once more downstairs. She could hear yelps and angry shouts but that was the least of her concerns.

Light was above.

Maybe heaven really was on Earth.

.

 **A/N: Tell me what you think. If you have any suggestions I will gladly listen to your words. Might I also mention that this is my first time writing Shepard so I hope that she seems in character. I've been doing a lot of research and watching a lot of playthroughs to write her on-point. I re-read this chapter three times but I might have missed some grammar mistakes and spelling mistakes. Don't hesitate to point them out if you spot them but other than that I hope you enjoyed this chapter! When there are less grammar and spelling mistakes I find it easier to read through a story so I hope the same can be said about you guys. X3**

 **So far I'm updating daily but it might slowly transform into an every other day update. It depends on my schedule but right now I have a lot of time on my hands and writing happens to be one of my favorite hobbies.**

 **Daughter of Ironman06: Eh, what are you talking about? *whistles distractedly* But yeah - it's probably who you're thinking about. x'D**

 **Gir240: Thanks for your review!**

 **November Has Come: Thank you for taking the time to comment. I genuinely wish that this chapter will entertain you and excite you for future chapters.**

 **Akshka: Of course!**


	4. Chapter 4

The unpredictable landscape was an excellent distraction for their pursuers. Shepard lead her giant company of escapees towards the hills but she had come to the startling realization that she could possibly lead the enemy _straight_ to the hiding spot of the rest of the escapees. Reluctantly she had come to a halt, using the trees to her advantage, to hide from oncoming bullets. The people following her, the size of a small militia, copied her every move. There were some stragglers who did their own thing, getting shot down in the process, for not heading for cover. The enemies were dwindling in size compared to all the escapees so Shepard had good expectations that most of the escapees would survive whether they were injured or not. Unfortunately she could not attend to the needs of every single person but luckily the escapees all acted in union. Some ran to help another, others watched each other's backs, and it was truly a beautiful form of humanity to see all of these people working together to help each other.

Some of them couldn't even handle a gun properly, fingers trembling when they pulled their triggers, aiming to kill their pursuers. Shepard wouldn't be surprised if many of the multitude had actually never held a gun before until this moment. If possible she would have liked to have prevented them from ever having to shoot someone but this was for their own safety. It came down to two things, _live with freedom,_ or die in captivity. She was certain that many of these escaped slaves would like the first option. She sure as hell would.

" _You've done well."_ The voice was familiar and she couldn't quite put her finger on it until she turned her head to see the old woman from the underground hideout. The woman spoke Egyptian Arabic so smoothly that it impressed Shepard but that was the least of her concerns right now. The woman had apparently left the hideout to look for Shepard as evident by how the woman had come so far out from the hill. Shepard stopped all she was doing just to hand the old woman the sniper rifle she had successfully snatched from the slave-trader's base. _"My beauty."_ The woman breathed, her hands feeling the rifle's frame, and she closed her eyes to take in the rifle's scent. _"I cannot imagine what horrors you must have gone through."_

Shepard realized that the woman wasn't even talking to her. She was talking to her sniper rifle.

The woman must have not been aware that Shepard could understand everything she was saying and so she switched to English for Shepard's sake.

"I'll take it from here." She smirked. Seeing to the wounded, Shepard was shocked when the woman shot one of the strange vials in her gun at one of the escapees, and Shepard took a large step forward to snatch the sniper rifle back from the old woman. Could this woman be senile!? She just shot an injured person in the leg! The woman noticed Shepard's grabbing hand and slapped the hand away before pointing to the escapee. The man who had been shot just a few minutes earlier in the shoulder stood up while flexing his shoulder in complete awe.

"I know what I'm doing." She barked out a laugh. "Do not worry. I do not hurt innocents."

"You seriously scared me right there." Shepard's exhausted voice was low whilst continuing, "I thought you were out of your mind."

"Oh young lady..." The woman laughed loudly in boisterous laughter, "I've been out of my mind way before this."

The woman aimed with her gun towards the oncoming enemies. Shooting with such deadly accuracy that Shepard almost thought it art for someone to be so skilled with their gun, and the woman was obviously more than she seemed.

"I never asked for your name!" The woman shouted in the middle of noisy gunfire. "Although you do not know mine, I would very much like to know yours!"

"Shepard." Shepard introduced herself.

"Shepard?" The woman teased. "I don't see your cane."

"You're the one who needs a cane old woman." Shepard told the old woman, firing her shotgun at an enemy, and hitting him squarely in the chest. He fell down and he never got up. Unlike Reapers, these were actual human beings Shepard was fighting, and it didn't feel _right_ killing any of them especially after the war when humanity was just beginning to rebuild.

But she knew better.

This place was different.

No one spoke of the war and it was because somehow it had never happened to them. The war had never occurred here. These people didn't know what a reaper was. All they knew was the captivity of humans and the wickedness that could be committed by one who did not care care about your life. They valued your life like the gum on the bottom of their shoe. _They didn't care._ Half of these men and women pursuing them wouldn't even think twice about selling one of their comrades for a suitcase of money - anything to fulfill their gross desires.

Gun fire slowly died down as the enemies' numbers grew smaller. Either they ran away or they were dead on the ground by the end of the battle and people were cheering over their corpses. Laughing at them, kicking them, pointing fingers and mocking them for having gotten what they deserved. Feeling sick, Shepard averted her eyes to the old woman, and it had the same look in them that Shepard had.

Mourning.

"I've never liked killing people." The woman spoke to interrupt their brooding silence. "Yet I can't manage to question my morality when I'm about to die. It's kill or be killed in this cruel world. Even those you know can turn their backs on you without the sense of questioning their own immoral thoughts only to soon stab you in the back."

"I know what you mean." Shepard said.

"You would, wouldn't you?" The woman mused. "You seem to be someone who's faced battle. You carry yourself like a soldier."

"This isn't my first rodeo." Shepard answered, turning her neck to see people still cheering alongside with another. Most of them didn't even speak the same language but they were swinging their arms around stranger's shoulders in pure joy. Some people stood still like statues, watching other's celebrate, in shock for all that occurred. Shepard had even seen a little girl staring at her blood-stained hands, uncertainty etched in her small eyes, and Shepard felt a sharp stab in her heart.

" _What's your name?"_

Shepard's attention landed on a group of women, all looking equally as thankful towards her, gratitude in their expressions.

"Shepard."

 _"Shepard._ " They all repeated together.

The moment was ruined when a loud sound filled the air. The old woman who had been watching the exchange between the escapees and Shepard quickly tensed. Turning their heads to the sky, many rejoiced to see a jet gliding through the air, with a strange symbol of white and orange that almost resembled a peace symbol. Shepard was about to question what the symbol could have meant but then she noticed how nervous the old woman looked.

"I need to go." The old woman spoke hastily. "They cannot know I am here."

She turned and walked a few steps before gazing over her shoulder back at Shepard.

"I don't usually ask this but... do you want to come with me?"

Shepard was surprised the woman would have suggested such a thing. She seemed... stand-offish... but what better thing to do to discover where she was then to follow someone she knew far better than anyone else in this place?

"You wouldn't mind?" Shepard questioned.

"Fighting by your side? Never."

"But I could have evil intentions." Shepard warned.

"Who would release all of those slaves and return me my sniper rifle with evil intent?" The woman asked, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself rather than Shepard.

"Where would we go?"

"Everywhere!" The woman claimed. "Just follow me and you will find your answers. I assure you."

"How do you plan to get off this island without those people's help?" Shepard gestured towards the sky with her head and cocked an eyebrow underneath her helmet.

"I planned ahead." The woman said smugly. "They'll be here in two hours, our ride, if you come with me. For now let's just get everyone out of the underground hideout... although it will be difficult to communicate to all of them. From the noise caused by the jet they must think that the island is being attacked."

"Sounds good to me." Shepard nodded, placing her shotgun back on her back. "I'm sure they'll all understand after I speak to them."

.

 **A/N**

 **Girl240: Ooohhh totally forgot about the light on her helmet _and_ the dim lights on her armor. I'll think more about that but for now I don't know how to fix it up. Onward I go!**

 **Daughter of Ironman06: Aha! Tricked you into admitting the truth!**

 **Akshka: Everyday darling!**


	5. Chapter 5

The underground safe-haven was chaotic. Animals whined, the children screamed and squealed, and the adults panicked among themselves. No one knew that they were to be saved, that they were now dubbed successful survivors, and free from captivity. All of these people thought, by the sounds that the odd looking jet made when it flew in the sky, was certain doom coming towards them. Shepard could hear their voices translated into pleas for mercy from some higher being or calls for help from one another even though they were equally just as panicky. It was hard to get their attention, yelling at them almost did nothing, and it only grabbed the attention of a few people. They looked interested, nonetheless, and they began to help by quieting other people down and pointing at Shepard. None of them even believed Shepard could convey what she wanted to say to them all, doubting she knew their languages, but boy were they surprised when each one of them understood her words.

"We are _not_ being attacked." She said, voice filtering out of her helmet. "We are being rescued! Help has arrived!"

Murmurs and whispers floated. Many were reluctant to believe Shepard and they all sent her glances with wavering resolves. The cloaked woman accompanying Sheapard stared at her with a questioning gaze, not understanding _why Shepard_ had spoken to everyone in what she supposed to be English, but things began to change when people began to shout in various languages.

" _You're lying!"_ German.

 _"How do we know this isn't a trap!?"_ Danish.

 _"How can we really trust this strange looking person?"_ Spanish.

"How can I make you believe me?" Shepard asked the people - but all of them were more surprised that everyone besides them seemed to understand what Shepard was saying too. What they had thought was simply her replying to _them_ had been her replying to _everyone._ How could everyone understand this woman when they could not understand each other? It was strange sorcery but none of them could find themselves to question it except for in their minds. With the lingering thoughts of a possible attack still fresh in their brains they returned to the original subject of panic that had caused them to question Shepard in the first place.

 _"Do you not get it!?"_ A voice shouted among all of many could understand him. _"She is offering freedom! We could easily overtake her, armed or not, if she is lying!"_

Shepard's eye twitched underneath her helmet at that claim. They may not have seen the fifteen guys she had destroyed with a nova explosion in the base but she was more than capable of taking half of the group out just by using her biotics. Although her biotics was limited without sporting a headache she could take any mob of people with great ease. That wasn't to say that someone wouldn't have get to have the drop on her because it was highly possible. She was made for front line combat, having taken the heavy duty as a Vanguard, and she could face Brutes head on. However sometimes she isn't paying attention when she's too focused on the things in front of her and sometimes things could run up behind her without her knowing. That's mostly why she had Garrus covering her back when she put him on the team or _anyone_ for that reason. Tali was a good support but now that none of them were here it was a whole different ball game.

 _"I will not sit idly and wait for oncoming doom!"_ A woman shouted in heavy Portuguese. _"I will follow!"_

Once again not many understood the woman but when they saw her take a step forward it was simply the action that caused them to be understanding. Her singular step forward caused other strangers to step forward alongside her, staring at Shepard with hope brimming in their soft eyes, ready to leave this horrible cramped hole. The one-eyed woman accompanying Shepard turned to look at her questioningly wondering _how the heck_ she had managed to communicate to these people by random shouting. To her it had seemed that Shepard was speaking perfect English but to everyone else she had been perfectly pronouncing their languages with ease. That was the beauty of a translator.

"Let's go." She commanded.

Many disobeyed her.

Unfortunately some still stayed but it was hard to win the hearts and minds of men and women. Shepard could not blame them for not trusting her when their trust had long but broken for humanity. Not only was she strange looking but she was _armed._ If they had noticed that then they could have been intimidated simply be her appearance and reluctant to follow her to freedom.

When they walked passed the shocked Russian man guarding the entrance, the sound of the jet was much more clearer, and people began to filter out of the little house to see the source of the noise in the sky. Immediately some began to rejoice upon the noticing of the symbol while others murmured to each other. It was quite a spectacle, really, because some people even began to break down crying at the prospect that they were finally going to be saved. _Freedom._ A single word that meant the whole world to them and it was something that was hard to be obtained.

"How did you do that?" The old woman spoke. "They - how... how did they understand you?"

Shepard smirked.

"I have a translator." She tapped her helmet with her index finger. "It automatically translates my words into different languages."

Shepard didn't mention how useful it was to communicate with alien species with different languages of all sorts of dialects. A human could learn many languages, that much was true, but there one could not bring a breathing translator with them _everywhere._ Sometimes someone would be alone and they wouldn't understand a single lick of words being spoken to them. The translator was also very useful for human languages and it began to be widely used for general business on Earth. If you didn't have a translator you wouldn't get anywhere unless you lived on Earth. Even then, there were alien visitors on Earth's surface, so you would fail to understand what they asked if they ever needed help.

The woman hummed in thought.

"What amazing technology. I've never seen something like it. _Will you demonstrate for me?"_ The woman switched languages swiftly.

"Don't read too much into it." Shepard told her to show off her translator.

" _This... is amazing... you're speaking my language as if you were raised by my people."_

"The greatness of technology." Shepard chuckled lightheartedly. "It does wondrous things."

 _"No doubt._ " The woman gestured towards her gun. _"This beauty has saved many lives. Many think it to be intimidating for such a large gun but just think about how much strength it brings people."_

"It certainly is an amazing spectacle." Shepard examined the gun in the woman's hands. It wasn't something she had ever seen in her adventures across the universe. A gun that could apparently _heal people?_ A weapon of destruction, saving people's lives? The thought itself was odd! Comparing all of the weapons she ever used, Shepard could find nothing like the woman's sniper rifle, and wondered if she could ever possibly get anything like it. Shepard had always been good with any gun she used due to rigorous training. Not to mention she had a whole lot of experience with different guns on the field. In the end all of them did the job that she wanted, destroyed her enemies, and protected her from harm.

" _Yes._ " The woman spoke comfortably in her own language. She almost looked nostalgic speaking to Shepard, though Shepard didn't understand the reason why. _"There are amazing things out there, Shepard. Wouldn't you like to see them with me? My offer still stands."_

Shepard crossed her arms tightly to her chest as she watched the escaped slaves watch the jet slowly land on the hill of the island. The woman tensed next to her, ready to bolt on her own two feet, but did no such thing while she waited for Shepard's answer.

"I'm sorry but no."

The old woman furrowed her brow.

" _Well - how about a ride? You could hitch one with me. If Overwatch catches you they'll question you, no doubt."_

"What do you mean?"

 _"You look strange. They might deem you a threat. They're incredibly careful people, especially with the roadblocks they've faced this far."_

"And just where exactly is your ride?"

The woman turned her head towards the direction of the beach.

" _A boat. I saw maps in the base and I found another island nearby. Imagine my surprise when I find out we're right next to Hawaii. Immediately I contacted a friend who owed me a favor and then I sent two people to test it out... - I still have not heard from them. I managed to do all of this before I left the base. It was during the evening when rarely anyone patrolled the halls, poor security I tell you, and I was able to find a computer in a room filled with giant machines. I still don't know what they were for but I didn't hesitate to ask for help."_

"Two people...?" Shepard's mind ran to Sin and Katy who she had found mere minutes after she had woken up. Could it be...?

" _Yes._ " The woman confirmed. _"Shepard. I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I do not want you to be troubled by these people."_

"What if you're lying? How do I know this isn't a trap?"

The old woman rolled her eye.

" _With the moves I've seen you do in the forest you'd be easily able to take care of yourself from the likes of me."_

"You have such little faith in yourself." Shepard teased lightly.

 _"Yes well - I am more powerful long-ranged. You seem to be the up and personal type."_

"True." Shepard shrugged. "But you could still push me off into the ocean and drown me. All you would have to do is leave me."

 _"I would never do such a thing."_ The woman looked offended. _"Allow me to do this one kindness to you, Shepard, then I will be out of your hair."_

Shepard looked back at the jet and the people retreating out of it.

 _A giant gorilla? What?_

She didn't question it much though when she remembered the woman was still waiting for her reply.

"Okay. Okay. Let's get going."

The old woman smirked.

 _"By the way - a small token of my gratitude - my name should be enough. Ana. That is what they call me."_

"Ana." Shepard repeated. "What a simple name."

 _"Ah - that's not what you're supposed to say! You're supposed to compliment it!"_

"Let's get going." Shepard said with amusement clear in her voice. "I've always wanted to go to Hawaii."

.

 **A/N: So I can't see your reviews for the life of me. I ended up going to my email to read your reviews but I replied to them all the same. Speaking of which, I didn't post yesterday because I had a completely occupied day. My family and I worked in the backyard for several hours and then went to a buffet. Then we went on a Pokemon Go hunting trip. You can imagine how tired we were afterwards.**

 **Razer666L: You glorious person. Your knowledge impressed me greatly. I'll go back and fix it up in a bit - knowing I just can't leave it like that in an inaccurate state - and I honestly enjoyed your lengthy review. I feel a bit guilty that I forgot all about how Shepard was practically a glow-stick with all of her equipment. I had skimmed it over simply because I was eager to get the chapter out. Anyways - I hope you were able to enjoy this chapter - you glorious person you.**

 **Bishop-Chan: WHEW! Glad you caught that! I quickly fixed it - sheesh. I had actually written Ana's name several times in the previous chapter and I kept forgetting Shepard didn't know her name. Naturally I fixed it up a bijillion times but it seems I forgot one of the mishaps. x'D**


	6. Chapter 6

Winston was exhausted.

A long day of working had been taxing on him. Reading through new Talon reports, contacting former agents of Overwatch, tuning up his technology. He would have considered the day to be over if an alarm hadn't blared as loudly as possible. It screeched hurting Winston's poor ears and he immediately knew what that alarm meant. He remembered putting it up, explaining to everyone that if they were ever in trouble they could send him an SOS signal, and he'd go to their aid with the sound of the alarm. It had only been used a few times since it was a way of communication if someone had no other way of communicating. For someone to use it _now..._ was certainly strange. His mind instantly landed on the conclusion that it could be a trap, someone trying to lure him away from his position, planning to raid the place after he was gone. Then he began to hesitate, knowing that there was still the possibility that it could be someone he knew, someone who actually needed _help._

With Athena's help Winston had located the signal immediately to a remote small island near Hawaii. It was small enough to not show up on any world maps but it was supposedly abandoned. How would anyone be able to communicate to him from such a primitive island? He doubted there was technology there for them to use to communicate to him but one could never be too certain. Sometimes things were never as they seemed, his very being was a testament of that statement, so he knew not to disregard this little island.

"What do you think?" He spoke out.

"The code is familiar." Athena informed. "Might I give a few suggestions as to who it is?"

"Go ahead." Winston leaned back in his chair with a jar of peanut butter. He watched Athena run across his screen with images of certain Overwatch agents long gone to other adventures. She pronounced each name perfectly, sending a wave of nostalgia through Winston's poor soul, but when she stopped on the last image he had to blink a few times to see if she was actually serious.

"Ana." She stated. The picture of Ana was an incredibly young one of a woman who long ago fought by Winston's side without the blink of an eye when it came to fighting. She was a tough one, that was for sure, and those nasty vials of hers definitely gave him a kick when they were freaking shot into his arms. Even now he could feel Ana's needles poking through his skin and he shivered involuntarily at the feeling. She had no mercy when it came to healing the injured and Winston unlike... well... _Mercy_ who was soothing.

"It can't be." Winston muttered. "She's dead."

"Perhaps." Athena said.

"What do you mean _perhaps?_ " He grumbled, sticking peanut butter into his mouth with his fingers. "She's dead. I got the files to prove it."

"The files mention never finding a body." Athena pointed out. "She just 'disappeared'."

Winston contemplated what Athena said closely to his heart. With the hopes that Ana might _actually_ be alive he wondered what he would if he ever saw her again. Hug her? Tell her he missed her? He certainly wouldn't let her out of his watch again if anything and he'd track the rest of her activity for the rest of his days if he had to. The image in his mind of an alive, much older, Ana lifted his spirits. If it were possible... _maybe... just maybe... Jack could be alive too._ Despite all of this it was unlikely. The odds that they survived were nearly 10% to 100% but he truly understood that they weren't ordinary. They had escaped the odds many times. What if they were somewhere out there actually living and breathing? He had looked once before but he had long since given up when he had failed to find any trace of them.

"Athena. I can't just leave Gibraltar."

"I doubt you'll be gone for long."

"That's right -..." Winston began, turning his eyes to look outside where the sun shined heavenly. It was a good day today. Maybe something good would come out of him going to find the signal by himself? "Athena. Prepare the jet."

"Of course."

Winston stretched after getting out of his chair. Although he had planned to rest for the remainder of the day he was eager to find out who would need his help. Besides this, it was an SOS signal, so whoever needed help needed it _now._ With haste he jumped towards his Jet, knowing the ins and outs of Gibraltar on the back of his hand, but now it felt so empty with only just him running around the base. Athena was his only companion. What he would do to have the good old days back - to have everyone fighting together side by side - with the excellent teamwork they had practiced in the field. He missed the sound of Torbjorn hammering his latest invention or Reinhardt's great and booming laughter.

"Athena. Inform me if anything happens." Winston commanded, sweeping into the jet's automatic opening, with no doubt help from Athena who had prepared for his stay in the jet.

"Yes sir."

.

This was above his league.

About _500 freaking people_ on this island were cheering for him when he landed. The minute he had stepped out people ran up the hill and after about twenty minutes they had managed to make their way to the top where he had landed. They all swarmed him with questions but he had understood nothing except for the few English words said here and there. Winston did know a few words from a few languages from the things he was taught by members of Overwatch. Since they had come from everywhere they'd sometimes speak in their own language and he'd learn a word or two. However his knowledge could only go _so far._ Not to mention they all spoke above each other so he couldn't collect his thoughts.

 _Someone had sent the SOS signal to help all of these people..._ Winston finally realized.

"Who helped you!?" He shouted above them all.

One eager voice replied, "Shepard!"

All the people recognized the name and repeated it in disorganized union.

"Shepard!"

' _Who is Shepard?'_ Winston was stumped. He had never heard of 'Shepard' before. A new hero perhaps? Even so, how would they have had the SOS signal at hand? How had they accessed such an old form of communication? It couldn't have been on accident and why in the _world_ would the signal come from Ana's code? Was Ana, if alive, going by Shepard now? That was strange though, why would she do that? He had heard it was hard for a hero to put down their cape but he didn't think Ana would actually adopt a new name. That just didn't seem like her.

"Want me to call the authorities?" Athena's voice came from the jet.

"Yes. Do that Athena." Winston sighed at all of the people before him. He would have to distract them until he got an answer from the authorities. They might not even believe him and think he was just trying to put Overwatch together again even though it had been made illegal. Still, this was all in good intention, so he was sure that it'd be okay. What he was more interested in was finding out more about this 'Shepard' person. He would have to question more people then.

"What did Shepard look like?" Winston asked to any of the English speakers.

"She had armor." Winston saw a man raise his hand near the middle of the giant crowd surrounding him. "And a helmet! We couldn't see her face!"

 _"_ Are you getting this Athena?!" Winston called out.

"Naturally."

"What are you guys? Why are you all here on this island? Don't tell me you all got stranded from a cruise wreck or any of the sorts?" He inquired of the people.

"We were slaves." The same voice that had answered earlier responded. "We were going to be sold."

Winston felt numb.

 _Slaves._

So people still sold slaves, huh?

How could people just... just... sit around when horrid things like this were happening? He was standing in front of hundreds of freed people because of a person named 'Shepard.' Whether this person was Ana or not he knew that they had saved all of these people. It was a person who had decided to stand up, someone who could do something for all of these people, while they could do nothing for themselves.

"Is Shepard still here?" He asked, realization dawning on him. They might not have even left the island yet! He could still be able to find them. Although considering that he could see them nowhere in sight with his great view on-top of the hill there was still a great chance that this person was still on the island. With high hopes that it might be Ana, Winston asked another question, "Do you know where Shepard is?"

"We don't know. She just disappeared."

 _'She'_ he filed the pronoun mentally in his head. Shepard was a woman.

 _Ana. Ana. Ana. It better be Ana._ He chanted in his head. When had he become so obsessed? The thought was almost unnerving.

"Tell me everything that happened."


	7. Chapter 7

_"Do you need anything Shepard?"_

Hawaii wasn't as all cracked up as Shepard had imagined it. It had been several hours since they had arrived, having hitched a ride on a boat, thanks to Ana's consideration of Shepard's situation. What Shepard appreciated the most was that Ana did not question her much on her own problems and they shared a respect for each other that would have normally taken months to earn. Ana seemed to be a good judge of character, however, but it was most likely due to having seen battle. Despite the woman's age Shepard knew that she was more than capable to protect herself in a fight and not only that but she could _heal other people's wounds._ If in the correct conditions, she could have someone else fighting for her, as she healed them senselessly from a far range.

Her head twisted towards the worrying omnic.

Sin.

She couldn't even remember the name he had introduced himself with. It was far too long to be easily remembered so she had just given in to calling the omnic Sin. From a few hours on the boat with Sin she had already learned a lot about him and her other companions. Apparently Ana spoke Spanish too, knowing it well enough to communicate with the Spanish speakers on the boat, and Ana then had told Shepard that Katy and Sin had both been fellow cell-mates aboard the base. That was how the woman knew them and why she had sent them both to Hawaii. She claimed it was a test run but Shepard had a feeling it was more than that. She didn't know _what had happened_ in that base before she had released everyone but she wasn't going to tread on deep waters.

Sin himself was actually a butler and it had been astonishing to learn that Katy herself was a rich daughter of a well-known family in Spain. Sin had been trained to protect Katy if anything were to happen to her, but his offensive training had not been nearly enough when he had been brutally beaten with a heavy wooden baseball bat. The person who had attempted kidnapping Katy ended up taking Sin with him, selling them off to the person who would pay the most, and didn't care what happened next. Sin and Katy were then transported to this remote island and tossed in a prison cell. Alongside Ana, they had escaped, finding even more escapees on the island. Trapped, unsure what to do next, Ana had suggested her plan to them which they had agreed with eagerly. So in a way, Sin _had_ been telling the truth when he said that he had been 'babysitting' Katy.

"No I don-..." Shepard paused to think more carefully. On impulse she was going to decline his request but now that she thought about it she couldn't just go running around _everywhere_ in a helmet and armor. It was growing uncomfortable, heat rising up, and bones aching for rest after carrying her medium armor on her body everywhere she had gone so far. She was human, she didn't have infinite stamina and endurance, so she'd have to take it all of at least _sometime._ "Do you have a spare change of clothes? And a duffel bag?"

" _Clothes I can understand._ " Sin's voice whizzed. _"But why a duffel bag?"_

Shepard gestured to her armor.

"Where would I put this without having something to carry it?"

If she carried it in her arms everywhere without a bag of some sort then she would gain suspicious attention. Traveling around in this world, with armor and a helmet, wasn't a good idea either. Once again, she could be deemed a threat, and she wanted the citizens of this world to feel as comfortable around her as possible so that she could extract information from them freely. Since English was an establish language, as all the Earth languages, Shepard knew that she could read English history books to gain up on the times of this world. Despite how alike it is to her own Earth she _knew_ this wasn't her Earth. It was far too strange... far too alien... to be her own world. I mean, _superheroes,_ _omnics, a healing sniper rifle, underwater bases, and a giant intelligent gorilla?_ She had been stuck in a static age of technology. While she had considered the technology primitive there were some things that just went over her head that her people had never been capable of creating.

" _You wouldn't be able to walk around lightly with a helmet bulging through the fabric of a duffel bag._ " Ana returned, speaking well-spoken Spanish on Sin's behalf, after having talked to a human man who had been waiting for them at the docks. Ana, apparently, knew the man. Looking at him Shepard could see that he looked young, maybe in his 20s, but he had an aura about him that made him seem far older. " _But I actually have a limited item that might help you."_

Ana dug in her cloak and pulled out a small device. It looked practical, for whatever it was, because it was in the form of a small black pin. Although the symbol on the pin was shaped like the symbol she had seen on the Jet earlier on the island they had just escaped, Shepard thought little about it, as she stared at the offered pin in Ana's hands.

"What is it?"

Ana tapped the symbol on top of the pin slightly and surely enough Ana's appearance changed dramatically into that of a younger woman. Ana no longer looked like the wrinkly woman she had once been, no, she now looked like a beautiful young adult who could have modeled for any magazine and excelled at it. _Whatever it was -_ it sure as hell looked useful - to be able to change someone's appearance completely like that. It would be nice to have it to be able to conceal her armor but that left the lingering question. Sure, it'd conceal her armor, but that meant she'd still have to wear the armor underneath the projection of another appearance and suffocate from discomfort. _She had to take it off_ but she just couldn't leave it behind. Her armor had necessary forms of protection that Shepard herself could never have.

" _A hologram projector_." Ana smiled. " _It conceals your appearance but if someone touches you they'll still feel you. So if you look like a pregnant woman or someone with bigger muscles than your own, anyone who touches you will realize something's not right, because their hands will phase right through."_

"Yeah. Okay." Shepard grabbed the pin from Ana's offering hands. She didn't know how'd she pin it to her armor, since it wasn't cloth, so instead she just dropped it in one of her slots. "I'm honored you'd give this to me. It looks special to you."

 _"Ah - I rarely used it."_ Ana waved at Shepard's words in dismissal. _"Don't worry too much about it. It was the perks of having so many friends who were interested in technology. I have a lot of smart acquaintances, you know?"  
_  
"Well... thanks. This will be very useful to me."

 _"I hope you won't use it for any wrong doing."_

"I wouldn't stoop that low." Shepard crossed her arms over her chest and leaned all of her weight to her left foot. "I thank you for both your kindness and trust in me for such a device."

Ana let a silent grin slip pass her face.

 _"You must come."_ Sin gestured towards the land. " _Let us leave the sea. I am far too sick of it."_

"Can't blame you." Shepard nodded towards him. "Let's go."

 **A/N: Not too long a chapter mostly because I have to go to driving classes everyday now. Whew - pray that I'll pass the learner's permit test! I didn't get to update yesterday because, quite frankly, I was lazy. I didn't have time to look this over but I'll be back later to revise mistakes. Goods new though - I can see the recent reviews now!**

 **Also - 40 followers? Thanks guys!**


	8. Chapter 8

Bold headlines, whether it be on paper, or on a television screen were all relatively the same. Shepard had also heard gossip in Hawaii from those passing by, sitting in cafes, or walking alongside the beach while she admired the water. Sometimes it was differently worded but it ultimately was the same thing. Someone had rescued survivors off of a deserted island. Although the island was still going under investigation it was assumed someone helped these people escape slavery. The figure, identified as female, was sketched by a sketch artist with a helmet that looked remarkably similar to Shepard's. The armor, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as identical.

They had already given the figure a name. Shepard. That was her name. They knew about her now. She hadn't even been on this planet for nearly a week and already half of the planet knew her name. Some believed her to be a vigilante or an upcoming hero. Although as positively as it had been looked upon there were some that had viewed it quite negatively as well. It was then that Shepard understood that not everyone appreciated those who seemed to be stronger than them. Shepard could understand that power was intimidating and that she was an unknown variable that couldn't be trusted. With the chance of ulterior motives, not many liked her, nor did they wish to hear anymore about her. Heroes, as strange as it may be in a world filled with them, were a taboo subject. It was with this simple thought in mind that Shepard knew that she could not wander any longer with a suit of armor lest she be a menace to society.

That's where Ana's pin came into play. Thank God for Ana. Shepard could hide her armor in mid daylight. Although it would be tricky, Shepard only planned to take off her armor if she needed to shower or sleep. For now she had no safe place to put her armor without worry that someone might discover it. Not only would it be unfortunate if someone stole it but it also meant she would be stranded in this place with no means of protection. Certainly she could adapt and find perhaps another set of armor that might replicate 1% of what her armor did for her but she found that highly unlikely.

Apparently to have the privilege to have special technological advanced armor or weapons one would have to be apart of the military, government, business, or apart of some security force. Shepard was greatly certain there was a black market somewhere that sold stolen goods of some form of protection but she didn't want to have to negotiate with criminals. Yet she already was forming a plan in her head just in case her armor ended up in the wrong hands. She would have to retrieve it - naturally - or destroy it. She could not replicate her N7 armor mostly because she wasn't an armorer. She was just a soldier. So she decided it would be better to keep it closely guarded whenever she could until she found some sort of permanent base of operations but even that was highly unlikely. She had thoughts running through her head like a marathon on the idea of having something similar to her beautiful ship the Normandy but that glorious work of creation was gone now. She'd never see anything like it ever again.

Yet she couldn't give up. She knew that there would be someway to get back home and she was determined to find that way. She wouldn't be stuck on this unfamiliar world forever, no, she'd be back in space again one day fighting side by side with her team. She was sure of it.

 _"I have a proposition for you."_

Shepard had little interaction with Sin for the two days she had been on the island. With the small conversations she had she was able to determine that Sin would be leaving via private plane off the island soon with Katy but Sin had stopped mid-step with Katy on heel before he left towards the airport. He had spiked Shepard's curiosity of what he might want from her and she was not at all surprise by what he then asked.

 _"My master suggested for you to come work for our family. Katy is in need of a bodyguard and I am not fit for combat as you are. He will pay you finely for her protection and you will also have a roof to sleep under. Unlike how we slept on benches these last few days."_

The idea of somewhere to stay, even if it was just for a little while, had sounded appealing. She would receive money as well which she could save up for future investments. If she skipped this opportunity who knew how long she would be stuck on Hawaii. Weeks? Months? She wasn't foreign to protecting people so she knew the ins and outs of guarding someone. It was either this or spend time sleeping on benches for the rest of her time here. She would have to find a job and work so that she would be able to catch a ship ride or plane ride off the island. With this she would be able to roam greater places like America or Britain for possible sources or leads on her particular predicament. She had no idea where to start but she knew that when she put her head to something she'd eventually find the bread crumb trail to something greater.

"Sin. That sounds like an excellent idea."

.

Winston. He was befuddled. Scratching his head with one of his hands he could only stare at headlines running down his screens one after the other. There were hundreds of people who welcomed him onto their island of survival with hopes that he'd save them. He had promptly explained his situation to officials and rescuers that had come from America two days afterwards his arrival and they had thankfully let him off the hook. They had been skeptical in his aid and attempted finding any way that he might have broken the law but he had made sure to add in the detail that he was simply investigating a signal frequency that should have been wiped years ago when Overwatch had disbanded. He was simply doing his job in making sure Overwatch stayed dead or at least that was what he made them believe. They had let him go because of the sheer chaos which was saving the escaped slaves and escorting them to camps in which they would find out their identities and return them home.

They could find no reason to arrest him for discovering an island of survivors.

Anyways -

Shepard.

That was what they called this woman.

She didn't sound older than 40 they all claimed, so Winston's theories of this mysterious woman being Ana began to die down. That still, however, did not stop the question plaguing his mind. How did this woman grab hold of one of a signal that traced back to Ana? If this woman had been acquainted to Ana it would make sense but he had never heard of a 'Shepard' before and those close to Ana didn't like to talk about her.

Winston wanted to find this person.

Where did she stand?

Was she a new member of Talon?

If so why would she grant freedom to an island of slaves and reveal a operating criminal base underwater?

Could she just be another person wanting to make the world a better place?

He could understand that, if so, because he was quite similar in that aspect.

"Athena - create a new file. Name it Shepard."

"Alright."

"Collect all the data we have on her and compile it together in her folder. We're going to track her down." Winston adjusted his glasses on his face as he picked up a document of Ana's supposed cause of death. Ana. Dead or alive? He wanted to know. Maybe this Shepard woman knew and if she did he could finally have closure on this whole thing. It'd be nice to have another original Overwatch team member on their side if Ana was indeed alive because right now he needed all the help he could get to handle Talon and other threats in general that didn't have the people's safety in mind.

He would find her. One way or another. He had no doubt in that.


	9. Chapter 9

Sin's - no - _Katy's_ family welcomed her with open arms. The man of the house, Mr. Antonio Robledo, treated her as if she was an old friend. He had greeted her with a plate full of food, fond laughs, and a lot of affectionate pats on the shoulder. He was a rather carefree man or at least he rubbed off that way. Nonetheless he was exceedingly glad to see his little girl again, not moving from her side for a minute, and holding her hand the entire time he showed Shepard their household. The house itself was a monster of a building with a bit of an old feeling to it, as if it had been standing there centuries before, but it was obviously well taken care of. With this in mind she had more comfort that it wouldn't collapse on her head but the _stairs_ on the other hand were far more discomforting. They were so small and old that she swore if she took a wrong step she'd fall backwards and hit her head. She may have a helmet on but that still didn't mean she'd entertain the idea of landing painfully on the ground.

Mrs. Robledo was a quiet woman who followed her husband around. She obediently did as he asked, fetching drinks for their guest, and staying by his side. She held her head high and proper. She was elegant in all her actions but there was a fierce look in her eyes that caught Shepard's attention. From what Shepard could guess, the woman was not one to sit down and do nothing, and perhaps she was quite the leader as well. The way she held herself was like that of a leader even whilst her husband was doing all the talking. He may be the man of the house but she was the _woman_ of the house.

Despite the woman's cold and stern demeanor she had let down that facade for a split minute when giving her daughter a warm hug to welcome her home. She had looked greatly relieved, allowing her thin and delicate hand to pat down Katy's hair, before sending a curt nod towards Sin. The rest of the time Mrs. Robledo had a sharp eye on Shepard's every movement - far from trusting - and Shepard knew this to be wise of the woman. One should never trust strangers in their household because you could never know what they would do to disrupt the peace. Besides this, Shepard understood she was rather menacing-looking, with the giant N7 Crusader on her back and the armor on her body. The foreign look might look threatening to anyone because they had no idea what she would do to them.

" _We will keep your stay here a secret."  
_

It was as requested. Mr. Robledo promised Shepard they wouldn't give away her location. Shepard hated being so secretive but she needed to be careful in this new world. Not only had she received a lot of attention from saving a whole island of people but she had learned that there were beings here with high-technology. Ana, being the first one to come to her mind, with that healing gun of hers. It was amazing that the device could _snipe a heal_ on someone. Shepard imagined Ana being valuable on the field, able to heal her teammates, and cause serious harm to her enemies. After all, the old woman had carried herself like a soldier, and Shepard knew that there would be others like her out there. What she didn't know is if they were as friendly as Ana or not but she wouldn't stress out thinking about it. There was one solution to her problem - be wary of everything - or else she would get herself into serious trouble and maybe never find a way home.

" _Your room is right next to Katy's."_ Mr. Robledo gave Shepard a firm pat on the back and a hearty smile. He then smoothed the black hair on his head down as he glanced towards his wife who gave him an assuring nod. Seeming pleased with himself, he opened the door for Shepard, showing her a small room for her to make herself comfortable in. It was a quick glimpse before he guided her to Katy's room, much bigger than her own, with a huge queen sized bed. Shepard had invited herself in by taking a few steps forward into the little girl's room, observing the window and the view outside, and registering into her mind that it was two stories high. Though it might be off the ground that still wouldn't change the fact that someone would still try to take Katy from her window. She noted this potential danger point before turning to the Robledos. She gave them a swift nod as to gesture 'ok' to them and they seemed to be satisfied. With a few mumbles to Sin to 'watch' Shepard and 'help' her out they had reluctantly left her at Katy and Sin's side to attend important business.

 _"Mr. Robledo works in his office. He's home most of the day. Mrs. Robledo works in retail design so she isn't in the house often. She travels to her projects to see the fruit of her labors herself."_ Sin explained. _"This is probably one of the rare times you'll see both of them together. They expect you to stay by Katy's side at all times."_

Katy was silent during Sin's explanation and it was then that Shepard realized she barely had any interaction with the very girl she was supposed to protect. The girl was surely capable of speaking but decided not to speak. It was in this way that Katy already reminded her of Mrs. Robledo for the two held themselves in almost the same way. Stern. Cold. Proper. However, Katy was still just a little girl, so it wasn't too surprising to suddenly hear her speak up after Sin was finished.

" _I want to go and play outside."_

Sin, ignoring her, continued on, _"Katy has study and tutoring 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM every weekday. After lunch which is about an hour, she goes to dance classes 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. She then comes home to do homework and then she is free to do whatever she likes. It is suggested that you don't let her do everything she wants, however, because the last time that happened we ended up getting kidnapped._

Katy folded her arms and visibly pouted. _  
_

" _I was bored Sin."_

The omnic glanced at her and sighed.

 _"I will often be accompanying you with Ms. Katy but there are times I won't be here. It is expected you will protect Katy with even the cost of your own life. You will be paid well for your job position, roughly 40$ an hour. This is quite a lot compared to the rest of the servants in the household because you are responsible for protecting the young mistress' life. With this in mind I heavily suggest you to take your job seriously. Katy has constant assassination attempts on her life."_

Attempts on her life? Shepard knew rich families weren't always let off scot-free by the public but to think that they'd target a little girl... Perhaps the Roblados had a family secret that made them targets. After all, Shepard knew rich people during her long life as soldier, (most of them politicians) but they weren't often stricken with attempted assassinations as Katy was described to be. There had to be something deeper behind this and Shepard knew she had her work cut out for her. It was only a matter of time before Katy got targeted again so she needed to be on guard.

She just didn't think she'd have to encounter this problem so soon.

Allow me to explain. As Sin had detailed for Shepard, Mrs. Roblado did indeed invite her friends over on a Thursday, and Shepard had thought that no one would be brave enough to attempt to kill Katy in such a setting of a large quantity of people. Most of the assassination attempts she had studied over were not well-thought through - for example - a man running into the manor by himself with a knife in his hand expecting not opposition. Then there was a poor attempt of a man with a gun trying to break through the back door leading into the kitchen before he was caught by Sin. She felt that if any of these men would try anything again, it wouldn't be where people could see them, because they were so poor at what they did that they would be easily identified and caught.

Seeing a floating cake from the buffet table probably was the thing that sparked her senses off.

Katy stayed close to her as instructed the rest of the evening. There was someone in her with technology she had seen before, the Shadow Broker being the ones to come to mind, seeing as they were the ones who turned invisible most of the time she had either interacted with them or fought with them. There was someone in here who wasn't supposed to be in here and Katy seemed to understand that by the vibes Shepard had let off. She was tense, keeping a soft grip on Katy's wrist, and watched Mrs. Roblado's guests closely. None of them were out of the ordinary nor did any of them glance her way once lest it to be to examine her odd armor. Mrs. Roblado did an excellent job in entertaining all of them, that was for certain, because most of them were greatly distracted in a conversation with her.

Sin came into the room, striding his way towards Shepard, and got close enough to whisper to her.

" _The cameras have been shut off by an unknown source. Although thought to be a technical difficulty we cannot rule off the fact that we have an intruder. It would be best not to mention this to Mrs. Roblado."_

"Why not?" Shepard muttered. "She can be on the look out too."

 _"Mrs. Roblado is not as calm as she may seem to be. She would usher everyone outside immediately and the intruder might be alerted of our knowledge of their... intrusion."_

Shepard had stayed wary the rest of the evening. Her shoulders hurt from how stiff they were as she played the look-out for Katy. It wasn't until Mrs. Roblado's friends had left around 7:00 PM, when she was isolated with Katy in the living room, did a strange woman flick into form. Shepard might have looked foreign but looking at this girl's appearance just sparked 'strange' in her head. She looked as if she was going for a rebel look, her hair all hanging down on one side, and her clothes a beautiful glowing purple.

"Hola." She waved her hand teasingly, smiling cockily, as if she had the situation under her control. "You know, I don't really like doing this sort of thing, but orders are orders you know? No hard feelings, right?" She raised her oddly shaped gun but Shepard's gaze didn't linger on it too long. Her aim landed on Katy and clearly she thought this would be an easy kill. Shepard would show her it was best not to underestimate her opponents for the minute she fired, she charged forward with a biotic throw, and the woman had no idea what hit her. Flinging her towards the wall, the purple dressed lady's eyes widened for a split second, before hitting the wall _hard._ She had clearly not expected such a move from her opponent and even raised her hands for a split second, screens glowing underneath her fingers, as if attempting to do something to Shepard.

The woman was shocked when nothing happened.

"What the... Everything - _everything - can be hacked!_ " She exclaimed. She visibly flinched when Shepard pulled the N7 Crusader off her back, standing in front of Katy protectively, and she aimed at the woman with no pity. She would end her for attempting to kill Katy, for that was her job, but the woman had other ideas. She got up and slid for her gun and Shepard had already shot a few rounds. She had nearly nicked the purple woman before she found herself under a barrage of quick tiny bullets. The gun packed a punch for being so small compared to her Crusader, nearly throwing down her shields, but luckily the woman stopped before having the chance to realize Shepard only had a limited amount of shields. "Aye - you're _interesting_ seniorita. I've never met anyone who could stand up to me like that. Okay, maybe I _have,_ but they don't ever seem to be as invulnerable as you. Say, why don't you help me out here a little? We partner up and you can get big bucks for working with me. All you gotta do is hand me the girl for a good nice shot."

"Right... I'd rather not." Shepard deadpanned.

"Well it was worth a shot." The woman shrugged. Before Shepard had a chance to realize her mistake of not shooting the girl while she could, the woman disappeared into thin air, and Shepard was left wondering if she was still in the room or not. However after an hour of waiting, a shivering Katy behind her clinging to her leg, Shepard figured it was time to move to a safer point in the house.

"Katy?" Shepard turned to check if the girl was alright. No bullet holes. No blood. She seemed okay. "Listen to me, okay?" Shepard knelt down and put two hands on Katy's small shoulders. "We need to be extra careful. If you don't want to get hurt I need you to listen to what I tell you in the future. If I ever tell you to run, you run, alright?"

Katy nodded her head, a slight whimper escaping her throat.

"Good girl. Let's get out of here."

.

" _ **Is the girl dead**_?" The dark raspy voice grunted over Sombra's earpiece. Sombra ran a hand through her hair as she stared at the manor from her vantage point on a roof of a house not too far away. She recounted her interaction with the armor covered woman and narrowed her eyes. Never had she encountered someone so... immune to her hacking. Her attacks. Nothing she had done did anything to her. If she ran into her again and had a _serious_ fight with her she doubted that she would be able to leave unscratched. She was a master of escaping the odds, however, so she had to give herself a point there. Yet that didn't mean that woman wouldn't be able to give her a serious beating... judging from their incredibly short fight. She had thought of ending the little Roblado right then and there and getting it over with.

"She's protected by this new bodyguard." Sombra muttered. "She nearly shot my head off. Nicked my ear though."

" ** _You actually had... trouble?"_** The man seemed amused despite the graveness of their situation. Katy wasn't dead. The Roblado's would get to keep their secret another day. **_"I guess you're not as invincible as you thought."  
_**

"Tsk. The only time you show humor is when I nearly die." Sombra rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm telling you, this body guard she... I couldn't... I couldn't _hack her._ "

Sombra had always been able to hack everything. When it finally settled in that there was someone she couldn't hack she felt... disturbed. Usually her only problems were the old members of Overwatch but now this... this... wild card shows up being immune to her abilities. Not only did this pose a serious problem but if someone else got their hands on this woman's services then they would have a dangerous adversary.

 ** _"Someone you couldn't hack?_** " The raspy voice was upset. " ** _What, is there something wrong with your abilities? If you can't use them anymore then you're useless."_**

"No, no!" Sombra stressed. "That's not it! She's the only one who's ever been immune to my hacks!"

 ** _"Sombra. This poses a problem. Avoid this woman as much as possible. I'll send someone else in."_**

"No, I'm perfectly capable of handling this myself."

 _Because there's something I want in there -_ Sombra thought to herself.

 _ **"I'm sending Widowmaker."**_

"But isn't she off in Russia?"

 _" **I'm sure she can handle traveling to Spain from Russia. She's already assassinated her target.**_ "

Mr. Roblado's brother, having gone on a trip to Russia, had been shot and killed in one shot by Widowmaker. It had been perfect when they found out he was going on vacation, no longer protected by the safety of his home, Sombra bet he had regretted ever leaving his house after finding a bullet in his head. Then again he must have not found much time to think when he was dead.

"Ugh..." Sombra groaned. Widowmaker was such a suck-up sometimes - doing everything she was commanded - and she was also so _serious all the time._ She was incredibly boring. Sombra did not like the idea of working with her again even though the last time they had worked together was just a mere month ago. She had been delighted taking this mission on by herself but... but... ugh... she hated to admit it... but she actually would need some help for this one.

" ** _Stop whining._** "

"I'm not whining!" Sombra huffed, rubbing the back of her head where a bump was forming. It had been when she had been _thrown_ at the wall. Come to think of it, what kind of technology was that woman even using? Able to throw her with... that weird... blue mist stuff. She had never seen anything like it. Naturally this called for some investigation so Sombra knew what she would be doing for the next few days while she was in Spain. "I'm going to gather information. Surely - I'll be able to gather some information on her. Everyone has a weakness, after all."

 _"_ ** _You do that._** " 


	10. Chapter 10

" _You have done a fine job._ "

Shepard watched the Roblados look over the security tapes twice over. Right when the cameras were shut off, a symbol could be seen, which resembled a purple skull. Mr. Roblado had recognized it immediately but the man didn't spare the time to give anyone the details as how he had come to recognize the symbol. By the widening of his eyes - he had looked shocked to see the symbol flash over the screen. The sudden shock had quickly been replaced by a facade of calm as Mr. Roblado ushered his wife out of the room. He exchanged a few brief words with low mumbles with his lips against his wife's ear before she left his company.

He closes the door behind her.

The grave look on his face was enough for Shepard to affirm that this intruder was someone he knew. Her eyes follow him as he sits down with hardly a sound facing the security monitors attached to the wall before him. At the moment Sin was watching over Katy in her room in an attempt to calm her down from the recent events. Shepard thought this to be best since Sin seemed to be much closer to Katy then she was. The affection the little girl showed the omnic was easy to identify through their new daily routines. She'd hardly leave his side when he was with her.

 _She's attached to him._

"Shepard." Mr. Roblado finally addressed her. "For you to be able to fight off... this... _woman..._ was incredibly impressive."

He turns to her.

"Not only this..." He continues, "but this **intruder** was someone I've encountered many times in my past. She has caused a lot of trouble for me. Put many of my men in the hospital. Yet you... are unscratched..."

He gestures towards her armor with a hand and Shepard felt a pinch of pride swell up in her chest. Ahh - her trusty N7 armor - even in a new world it had not failed her. Whatever that strangely purple colored woman had tried to do to her with the purple pads that had appeared before her fingertips had failed her. Shepard assumes that she might have been trying to render her defenseless. The boundless confidence she had shown had slowly diminished as her encounter with Shepard seemed to cause a problem until she had to retreat.

"I don't even think she'll have the guts to come again." Mr. Roblado hummed with amusement laced in his voice. "However... she isn't one to give up easily. She might bring friends if she does come again."

"Friends?"

"Ah. Yes. I haven't told you who she is, have I? Her name is Sombra. She works for a group called Talon. A few years ago I employed their services for some..." He trails off in hesitation, " _b_ _usiness._ "

A set of warning bells went off in Shepard's head. She began to put the dots together and realized that Mr. Roblado himself might have been involved in some dangerous business with potential criminals. What was more odd was the fact that he was giving her this information so freely so she knew there had to be a catch somewhere. Who would tell someone they just employed potential black-mail material? Not that she would black-mail the man, for she had no reason to do so, but knowing what he was up to probably wouldn't bode well with him. Not only that but _she'd_ be in a compromised position as well for associating with this man.

"Sir." She interjects quickly before he can explain any further. "I'm just here to protect Katy. Nothing more. Nothing less. Please don't tell me anymore."

Because her morals would get in the way and she'd probably leave if she found out what he was up to. Protecting Katy was something she could deal with. Getting involved with _criminal activity_ was not something she wanted to do in this foreign world so it would be best to avoid that sort of thing as much as possible. Besides, she didn't want to just leave abruptly, not when the job paid so well. She'd gather enough money to make it on her own for a while she investigated her appearance in this strange world and then she'd finally return to the beautiful Normandy probably drifting in space waiting for her.

"You... well... alright." He stumbled over his words. "I just thought it would be better if you understood your situation."

"Oh. I understand it just fine." She answered. "I don't need to know anymore."

Besides, Shepard had a feeling she'd find out whether she wanted to know or not, because fate always had a way of pushing her into messes she didn't want to be in.

.

The shaking mass of blankets was the first thing Shepard saw after she had dismissed herself from Mr. Roblado's presence. She had entered Katy's room just mere moments ago. Sin was by the little girl's bedside but somehow he seemed a bit distraught. From the looks of it, his comforting didn't seem to be having much of an affect.

"Shepard." He greets her. "I don't know what's wrong with her. She's had many attempts on her life. This should hardly be new to her."

Shepard blinked. Once. Twice.

"Um. Sin. I'm sure any little girl would be shaken up after multiple attempts on their life."

She sighs as she pulls up a cushioned chair to the bedside. Sitting right next to Sin, she folded her arms across her chest, and took a good long look at the girl she was in charge of protecting.

"Katy."

Shepard knew she didn't look like a figure of comfort, especially with the helmet and armor on, but she tried to make her voice sound as soothing as possible whilst calling out to her. Sure enough, she grabbed her attention, and the little girl peeked out of her blankets. She only looked at Shepard for a few seconds before stuffing her face back into her blankets again.

 _"I'm scared."_ Katy whispered. Shepard almost wouldn't have been able to pick it up had she not been carefully listening to her.

"Well Katy." Shepard smiled underneath her helmet. "You won't have to be scared for long. You'll find that I'm quite the capable bodyguard."

 _"What makes you different from the rest?"_ She grumbled. _"I bet if it were someone else, you'd be praying for your life."  
_

Shepard scoffed.

 _Her?_

Pray for her life?

"Are you familiar with the praying mantis?"

Hopefully they have the praying mantis in this world - otherwise the analogy she was about to use might end up being useless.

" _Yes._ "

"Praying is the position it takes before it heads for it's kill. If I prayed, it would be for my enemy, not me. You have nothing to worry about Katy. I won't let any harm come to you. I promise"

She _might_ be making an empty promise. Shepard did know she was capable of protecting someone but she wasn't _perfect._ There would be mistakes. There would be stumbles and falls along the way that might even make the Roblado's question in her abilities. Despite this she knew her strengths and weaknesses. She had a good understanding about her limits. There was only _so_ much she could do. She wasn't someone who could always prevent the worse from happening but she'd try nonetheless. After all, she owed it to Katy, because she had promised her.

 _(The Shepard promises to protect her flock from the wolves_ _.)_

 _._

 _"I've got nothing on this girl."_

Sombra's voice rumbles through Reaper's earpiece as he stalks his prey from the rooftops. The unknowing omnic was walking down the streets with two girls hanging from his limbs, giggling statically.

 _"She's an unknown! I literally found nothing - well - nothing worthwhile anyways."_

" **But you found _something._** " Reaper snarls.

 _"Well, yeah. Apparently there's witnesses from an island of human trafficking that said a woman named Shepard saved them. I can only assume that this is our girl right here, since their reports match with her appearance."_ Sombra pauses as Reaper turns into a haze of black smoke, running down the walls of a building, and landing in a nearby alley. _"I've got nothing on her strange abilities or technology. I mean... the way she threw me at the wall... with that strange blue energy. I had never seen anything like that before and I can't find anything about it."_

 ** _"_ Sombra. The only way to get to the girl is to find a way to take out her bodyguard." **He states the obvious. They _both_ know this. Still, it didn't hurt to remind Sombra, because the head-strong girl would often do things her own way instead of following his advice. **"It might be best that you tail her. Speaking of which - is Widowmaker there yet?"**

" _Um. No. Nope. Not here. I haven't found h- Hey! Give that back!"_

 _"I am here."_ A new voice chimed in the earpiece. _"Sombra chooses to be uncooperative. She claims she can do this herself."_

 **"Just make sure she doesn't get into any _trouble._ We don't want anyone to know what we're up to."**

 _"Of course."_ Widowmaker purred. _"I am used to babysitting duty."_

 _"You do NOT babysit me!"_ Sombra's voice was heard yelling in the background.

 **"I'll have to get back to you. I have some business to take care of."**

The stupid omnic didn't know what hit him as he turned to find one of Reaper's shotguns aiming at his face.

.

 **AN:** Mitsuki Shigamatsu, thanks for reviewing my fanfiction! No one reviewed last chapter so it was a relief to have your input. Thank you very kindly.


	11. Chapter 11

There's a _vengeance_ in the air that Shepard is far from prepared for. She tenses for the onslaught on her body as she's squished to new lengths she had thought previously possible. It takes Katy grabbing her hand firmly to pull her through to shoot her back into her senses. It was _her_ job to protect Katy but this time Katy would have to guide her through the chaotic crowd of people. It didn't help that Shepard feels a wave of nausea as she's ushered forward by Sin who had been behind her this entire time. Luckily no one saw anything out of place because she had worn the pin Ana had gifted her on the island. When going out in the world to _shop_ for the first time Shepard figured it would grab less attention if she wasn't wearing a big bulk of intimidating armor. She had taken the guise of a blonde woman whose features strictly clashed from her own.

Perhaps it was the thickness in lips and the slim face she saw in the mirror that had made her feel as if it were uncanny. She sees this _woman_ in her reflection and has to remind herself that it's not _her._ Even though she looked different she didn't feel different. She could feel the same features as her hands ran down her face - phasing through her fake upturned nose - and clinking against the hardness of her disguised helmet.

If anyone decided to get touchy with her they'd feel something completely different than what she looked like. That was the only thing she feels completely conscious of as she's thrown into a swarm of people that ignore her completely in attempts to order a new baked good from a popular bakery in Spain called 'The King's Crown.' Katy had suggested vigorously that they escape the manor for once and shop around. The only problem Shepard had with this suggestion was that they'd be out in the open where Katy's head was inviting people to shoot at it.

Katy pulls her out of the crowd and back into the shopping district they had entered. Shepard lets out a large sigh of relief and has a hard time getting herself back together. She wasn't _usually_ claustrophobic so this was a new one for her. She didn't know where it had stemmed from but she _hates_ the dizzy feeling it leaves behind. She's truly thankful when Sin and Katy wait as she gathers herself back together with another deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. Shepard looks down and sees Katy is still holding her hand tightly in her own. Katy gives her a squeeze in comfort and Shepard already feels _immensely_ better.

"Thank you Katy." She shows genuine gratitude in her voice. The little girl gives her a short quick nod before tugging her forward once more as they head to another shop. Sin follows them silently as Katy takes the lead until they arrive to a quaint little clothing shop smaller than the rest of the shops Shepard had seen in the district. Shepard is quickly sat down near a dressing room while Katy presents new clothing that she shows off.

Shepard stares at her each time she swings the dressing room's curtain open to pose in a new outfit. It was strange seeing such a little girl taking _fashion_ so seriously. Shepard can't recall the last time _she_ had time to get new clothes. In a time of war she had little thoughts on how she looked as she was covered in the disgusting blood of Reapers. Besides this, it was impractical to wear anything but armor to the battlefield, because wearing something else was usually presenting yourself as naked fruit ripe for the taking.

 _"Sin, how does this one look?"_ Sin spins in a summer dress with a small little smile on her face. Now _that_ was an expression that was rare for Katy during these last few weeks. The girl hardly smiled after all the attempts at her life. Who was it again who suggested they get some fresh air... Sin? Shepard glances at the Omnic and though she sees no facial expressions she can tell he's looking at her with a sort of similar understanding. With this time passes as Katy continues to show off new clothing and Shepard zones out into a different world when she begins to lack interest.

The soothing piano playing softly on the speakers dims down as her eyes focus on a sole spot of a little corner near a mirror hanging on her left. She hears the faint sounds of a cocking of a gun, bullets shooting across fields of grass, and the inhuman grumbles of an armored brute heading towards her. She tenses - _the sounds of growling eats at her ears -_ she is without her crew. How will she face them off this time? Her crew was always by her side whether supporting her from the Normandy or with ground-support. They were always at her back but now she was alone.

" _Shepard._ " Her name is called out. She snaps out of her stupor and sees no expression on the omnic's face but _Katy's_ is one of astonishment. She doesn't realize what they look at until she follows their eyes focused on her arm where her omni-tool had extended into a glowing orange omni-blade. She had stood up without thought, apparently, and stood in a defensive stance with her omni-blade in clear view. _When had she...?_ It doesn't matter because she quickly retracts it as quickly as it had appeared. The piano musics slowly comes back to life and time no longer seems so _warped_ anymore... she silently reminds herself that she's on a different world now. The Reapers were gone. They were gone. She had sacrificed her _life_ to be rid of them once and for all.

" _Shepard._ " Sin repeats. " _Are you okay?"_

"I'm fine Sin. I just... some... bad flashbacks." She struggles to admit. "I didn't mean to let them get the best of me."

If Sin had eyebrows, Shepard could imagine him raising one skeptically.

"Why don't we go home?" Shepard says. "It's not safe to stay out in the public too long."

Sin and Katy share a glance before agreeing. Of course, not before the head to the cash register to buy a hefty amount of clothing stuffed in boxes. (Which Shepard was ultimately forced to carry after Sin's hands were filled.) They had returned home as quickly as they had left and Shepard figures that this day... despite the sudden hallucinations of a _Reaper Brute..._ was turned out fairly well. No one had tried to kill anyone. Katy was safe for another time.

Shepard takes a practiced deep breath and releases it. Things were different now. She had lived her whole life as a soldier... she had fought her entire life... and given the chance to _relax_ had just been such a foreign idea. It doesn't help hearing the Reaper's warbled growls in the back of her head like a faint buzz when things begin to calm down. She can hardly focus on protecting Katy anymore when she finally comes to a conclusion that she was unfit to fit into normal society without _help. Yet_ being quite the stubborn ex-commander, Shepard doesn't want to find help, because she hoped she wouldn't be on this planet any longer. She would head home and _there_ she'd get some help on her situation. Not with these _strange people_ who had never faced an alien race like the Reapers before.

They'd never understand what she was going through.

.

When Sin suggests Shepard _read some books_ instead of standing around all day at Katy's side with nothing to do, Shepard takes up his suggestion and finds multiple books from their great library. She can't read in peace though, not when her eyes constantly escape the pages to look at Katy, to make sure she's okay. It isn't until she comes across a book called 'Studies of the Omnic Crisis' was Shepard's interest truly peaked. A professor from a university (she hadn't bothered remembering his name) writes an introduction to his studies by giving a history of omnic creation.

An organization called The Omnica Corporation had created many facilities around the world that they called 'Ominums' which were self-improving robotic factories.

They way they explain the functions of omnics remind her of EDI and how much she had developed as an AI.

When these facilities were shut down over evidence of corporal fraud they reactivated without warning to launch attacks. Omnics were capable of developing their own free will. Oddly enough Omnics seemed to be in possession of something of 'omnic energy' and Shepard didn't seem to understand what exactly this _energy was for._

When these omnics attacked a group was organized to fight against them for the sake of humanity. This group was called 'Overwatch' which had multiple members with the means to defend people from Omnic attacks. This group of people were celebrated as heroes and continued to hold a militaristic stand which began to become questionable. Overwatch's history aside, the book goes forward in time to question Omnic rights, because _were they simply robots_ or were they something more? Did they deserve the same rights as humans?

It _seemed_ they possessed free-will, as studied from the omnics that took refuge in the Himalayas to learn to possess 'omnic energy' who claim they were _more_ than machines. They had _minds_ just like that of humans or so they believed. Our writer in this book still seemed skeptical to believe that omnics _truly_ possessed a soul similar to that of a human.

 _'They are machines believing they are capable of more than being machines.'_ He put it.

Before she could turn the page the book is snatched from her grasp.

" _Don't read this book. It's biased."_ Sin's robotic voice hums in distaste. He tosses it aside and puts another book on her hand. _"This one is better. It will tell you the TRUE nature of omnics. Not what humans perceive us to be."_ Shepard reads the bold letters on the cover and sees a picture of an omnic floating above ground with multiple... _orbs..._ floating around him. Shepard can only guess this is what omnic energy is since she can't seem to find any other way to describe such odd illustrations.

 **The Freedom of Omnics**

" _This will show you a much more different perspective when it comes to omnics."_ Sin assures Shepard. _'It's much better than that **garbage.**_ _Our people are not as barbaric as some think us to be. I hope you will not become one of them in their chaotic views when it comes to omnics."  
_

 _._

The Omnic Crisis was one of the most interesting things Shepard had read. It seemed that this world had it's fair share of war and trouble just as her own. Except, her world hadn't been the only one in trouble, no _it had been_ multiple worlds spanning across galaxies with different species of all kinds. Although there were constant racial differences that caused both humans and aliens to clash against each other multiple times... humans had always managed to survive... whether it be through small miracles or great leaps of technology.

Except, instead of forming an alliance with foreign species to ward off a galactic attack, a small organization had been formed instead. Overwatch, whatever it was, was once defenders of humanity. This is how Shepard comes to finally recognize all the old remnants of this group of people through books and ruined posters still have yet to be removed from shopping districts. Apparently there was a giant debate on whether Overwatch should have kept going rather than shut down for good. It doesn't help that the people call for heroes once more when they were the very ones that had turned their heroes away.

Peace never lasts long. Shepard knew that for a fact.

" _Hurry up Shepard!"_ Katy yells at her as she runs through the hallways with a shower rod in her hand. She speeds through with a fake pair of wings sticking sloppily from her back because her dress was the only thing keeping them from falling down on the ground. The pair of wings was a result of impatient arts and crafts that Katy had quickly made. She had put on a white frilly dress and snatched the shower rod from her personal bathroom. " _I'll be Mercy! You can be... um..."_ Katy stops in place and turns on her heels to get a good look at her protector. Her eyes flow up and down Shepard's form thoughtfully before continuing, " _Reinhardt! He was always covered in armor and he charges people and goes 'hyahhhh' and 'wrarmmmm!'"_ She makes various exaggerated gestures. _"Ah but Mercy is different. She heals people and flies to them when they're hurt! She's an angel!"_

"Uhuh." Shepard plays along. "I got it. So I'm 'Reinhardt' right?"

" _Right! Let's go protect my dad from evil badguys!"  
_

It's then that Sin butts in after spotting the two in the hallway speaking to each other. He speaks up, " _I'm sure your father is very busy right now. Why don't we go... bake... a... healing cake?"_

Katy couldn't believe her ears.

"A _healing cake!?"_ She begins with awe. _"Did Mercy bake healing cakes!? Do you know how to make one Sin!?"  
_

Sin approaches Shepard and whispers lowly so that Katy cannot hear what he is saying, " _Katy loves baking. It'll distract her so she won't interfere with her father's 'work.'"_

"Sounds good to me." Shepard pauses. "Where's the kitchen?"

.

Winston runs over the data once more through the clear lenses covering his eyes. The latest Talon activities were near non-existent so naturally he knows something is up. Talon was always doing _something._ They're always on the move, always seemingly one-step ahead of him, but for some reason they had gone off the radar. This proved to be problematic because while he studies their latest activities is he delayed in cornering the woman he thought could possibly be Ana. The signature was the _same - the same as hers -_ why would she use it unless she needed active help? It was an SOS to rescue her and he had headed to her rescue immediately.

" _Ah yes - that woman."_ Winston watches an interview he had taken with an eye-witness who had been eager to help him. " _She was covered head to toe with armor! If I remember anything in particular... it's probably that giant symbol 'N7' on her armor."_

N7. He thinks. N7. N7. N7. What kind of clue was that? He had Athena look up for any identifiable matches and had found _nothing._ Yet he _knows_ N7 stands for _something._

' _How am I supposed to find this woman?'_ He groans inwardly.

"I have something you might want to see." Athena's voice starts. Winston turns his eyes to the screen once again as Athena shows a new article with headlines of a new figure attending to a famous figure in Spain. Katy. Daughter of The _Roblados._ Apparently the woman had accompanied the young heiress outside of the manor for once where a photographer had shadowed them from a safe distance. He had taken several shots of the new accompanied woman who had long blonde hair that reached to her waist.

"Why am I looking at this Athena?" He asks.

"We've had a recent report from... an unidentifiable source. They've sent this information to my database and I don't know _who it was_ so I thought it would be wise to bring this to your attention. All I've been able to do is pin-point this unknown sender to Spain."

"What is it with Spain?" Winston mumbles to himself as he scrolls down the article.

"The said sender claims - in an email attached with this data - that the Roblados are related in Talon criminal activity. They hired a new guard to fend them off to protect the youngest Roblado from Talon attacks."

"How do we know this person isn't lying?"

"Well, other then the evidence they sent, they took a... picture... that raises some questions."

Winston watches as Athena spits out a picture on screen and he narrows his eyes.

"Zoom in, Athena."

"Of course." She hums and does as asked.

The figure is unmistakable. She's on the roof aiming a sniper rifle at _something._ He's not sure. Whoever had gotten this photo _was incredibly skilled_ not to get noticed by this seasoned sniper.

"Amélie." He hates it when he sees her like this - each and every time. _If only. If only. If only._

"This figure is undeniably Widowmaker."

"Yes yes but _who's the one_ who took the photo?" Winston leans forward. This was far more serious than he thought... why would this person give him information so freely...? They were sending him a puzzle... expecting him to solve it. A woman with blonde hair. Talon. The Roblados. Widowmaker. They were all connected. "Athena. Call Tracer."

"Are you sure she'll be willing to look into this for you?"

"If she doesn't then I'll go myself."

"But Winston - this could be a trap."

"A trap worth investigating." He affirms. "We'll have to find out where Ana is later. For now we have more pressing manners to look into."

.

 **AN** : Serithus: Guess Talon's not the only thing she has to worry about anymore. *Winky wonk* Okay that was weird I'm not doing that again.

Girl240: Ahhh thank you kindly! I'm filled with gratitude. ;_;

FanFicsNFood: You have done me a great thing on reviewing my fanfiction. I know my writing isn't superb but feedback is certainly pleasant. I'm still improving. Also, thank you so much for your kind comments. I'm greatly flattered my dear friend.

Mitsuki Shigamatsu: Do you LIKE reading my mind?

Dghornick: I've seen a lot of TF2 crossovers with Overwatch and since I'm not a particular fan... I figured I'd make my own fanfiction.

Soberan 123: Thank you for your suggestion but I'm afraid I won't be using that idea. It was a great idea though! It's just... yeah... I already have most of this planned out. Hehe.

Rook115: Thank you SO much for taking the time to read the last chapter.

O-5: Here ya are.


	12. Chapter 12

Shepard inspects the thermal clips laid in a straight row on the ground before her. Only one word comes to mind as she stares at these works of man; invaluable. Something that she once could be able to find on the corpses of men on the battlefield or in regular stock in stores was now rare. So rare, in fact, that she had a high guess that it would be incredibly expensive if one understood it's purpose. Even then, however, one might not even be able to use it without a modified gun. If she were ever to lose any of her thermal clips, six on count, she would be extremely limited. They were the only ammo available to her Crusader, which could not use regular bullets that could be found at a local gun dealer, or the odd modified bullets that come out as blue whisps of energy. The strange bullets had fascinated her, not quite like anything she had ever seen, and so she had taken it upon herself to look up more of the world's strange technology.

This, of course, was only done during her free-time when a security team would allow Shepard to take a break. This was courtesy of Mr. Roblado who had understood that Shepard was not a sleepless working machine. Even she needed rest. Although Shepard was still skeptical of the capabilities of Mr. Roblado's security team because of their apparent lack of experience. Some of them didn't even know how to hold a gun right... which allowed Shepard to wonder... where exactly did he hire those people? Regardless, Shepard found herself in the Roblado's library anyways, as she roamed countless of books regarding things she had never heard before. Omnic energy, hard-light, hovercycles, and the towering svyatogors. There was far more technology listed but Shepard finds herself most interested in hard-light out of all the many wonders of this world.

Hard-light was where one would manipulate light to create objects. Not only this but there was a whole city created out of hard-light. A whole. entire. city. Out of light? Shepard hardly thinks it to be real at all! I mean - it was just... impossible! All this... nonsense about light weaving - and... ugh... she just can't keep up. When humanity in her own time had advanced it was with great speed. Humans had gone from colonizing Mars to exploring entire worlds in what seemed like to be an instant. Yet while this world didn't seem to have spacial travel to surpass the milky way, they were advanced in other ways, as evident by hard-light. Although Shepard supposes, ultimately, that her omni-tool has similarities to hard-light. Yet she doesn't know the exact science of it all... since she was more concerned using it then finding out how it worked... but she does know that it takes a physical form every time she needs to use it as a melee tool. It heats up after hovering over her arm and sears into an aggressor's skin. Simple as that.

This posed an interesting concept to Shepard, hard-light. If it could create anything... could it duplicate thermal clips? Weapons from her own world? Another omni-tool? Could it create armor similar to her own? Although she doesn't believe it can copy some of her own technology to the very core it's intriguing to wonder whether or not it's capable of creating a look-a-like. Perhaps if possible, an exact copy would be more satisfactory, but again Shepard reminds herself that it's highly unlikely.

Looking at the thermal clips set before her once more she is forced to reach a conclusion. She needed a plan B if something happened to her Crusader. Of course she always had her biotics and her omni-tool... but she couldn't only depend on these two sources of power.

The answer was simple.

She would have to integrate into this society's use of technology. She would have to use the guns that they created, not the ones that were at her disposal, and she would have to learn how to use them. She doesn't want this to happen, naturally, but she had to be prepared. This was dangerous territory she was in - simply because of her lack of knowledge. Besides, she had already gotten herself mixed up into The Roblado's lives, so there was simply no doubt that she would now be on someone's hit list to get through Katy. It was simple reasoning that pointed her to this conclusion because if one were to go through her, they would be rewarded with Katy's head on a platter.

The simple image of such an action makes Shepard scrunch her nose in distaste. Katy had been nothing but kind to her... to think such... grossly deforming things of her wasn't like Shepard at all. For a moment Shepard massages the creases on her forehead that grow the more she thinks about it. In fact, one thought leads to another, to the point that she's unable to control her own thinking. What had once been a genuine thought session on preparations for future inevitable problems became a mess of disturbing unorganized images. Not only this but there's a buzzing in the back of her head that she can hear clearly. She has no idea what it is until -

Wasn't that where her biotic implant was?

It's just a vague idea but... Her hands reach up to the back of her head, where her fingers trail down her hairline, until stopping at her bangs.

Okay.

She did know one thing.

Deep breaths. In. Out. Inhale. Exhale. Calm down.

The buzzing slowly fades until she is faced with comfortable silence. It's a silence that Shepard embraces like an old friend, one that she submerges herself in, as her mind slows down in thought.

Calm.

Shepard is calm.

She needs to be calm. She can't afford to panic. She can't afford to break. She needed to get home - then she could do all of that. For now - she can't be emotionally unstable - because that means erratic behavior. Mood swings. Illogical decisions based on emotion.

A knock on the door breaks her from her brooding.

She grabs her helmet from the floor by her side and pops it onto her head. After this, she scoops all of her thermal clips by the armfull, and carefully pops one into her Crusader. The others are placed in the padding on the back of her greaves. Sliding the Crusader onto her back, she finally pulls herself to her feet, and heads towards the door. When she swings it open, she's greeted by Sin, who is as expressionless as ever. She can never tell what he's feeling with the lack of basic human features. Eyebrows. Eyes. A mouth. The only thing she could ever use to discern how he was feeling was through the way he spoke. Yet since he had yet to say anything, she couldn't get a read on him, and waits a matter of seconds for him to take the initiative to speak up.

"The security team got into a fight." The omnic states.

"Wait - a fight?" She thinks two things. A fight between an assassin or a fight among themselves. She doesn't know which one is worse. The first one means someone attacked Katy knowing that Shepard wasn't at Katy's side. The second one meant that the security force were unprofessional and began to fight each other instead of focusing on protecting Katy.

Ugh.

Untrained. Unexperienced. What was Mr. Roblado thinking? Did he even care about his daughter?

"One of them threw a punch. The rest was history." Sin actually sounds a bit amused but Shepard is feeling the exact opposite. She feels disappointed, no, beyond disappointed. She was disgruntled that these fools were pushed into security detail without even knowing how to do their jobs. What if something horrible happened because of their incapablitiy to properly protect Katy?

"Take me to them." Shepard commands, not out of authority, but out of concern for Katy. Sin must be able to relate so she felt that he would do so. Hadn't he come to her room to take her there in the first place?

Sin leads Shepard to Katy's tutoring room, where all her tutoring sessions took place, and Shepard found a hideous horrid scene. Mr. Roblado's employed security are all sitting around decorated with black eyes and bruises. What disturbed her even more was the gun that laid on the ground that had probably first been intended to shoot someone's brains out if things got nasty. Whoever had pulled it out nearly used it. Why else would they pull out a gun? Just for kicks? To show it off? It looked pathetic anyways.

"This is a disaster." Shepard states the obvious. She looks at the tossed over furniture, the tutor sitting in the corner struggling with calming himself, and Katy herself who hangs near the window. She looked half tempted to jump out into the tree hanging nearby, so Shepard makes her move and heads towards Katy's side to reassure her. "I could have you all fired for your stupidity. You imbeciles!" Her anger boils in her chest as she watches them in their less than flattering positions on the ground as they huddled their faces in their hands. One man was curled up into a ball, covering his abdomen with his hand, while another was lifting up his shirt to check on his ribs. The rest were all more concerned with their faces than anything else. "You all are a disgrace. You're disgusting. You're pieces of garbage hoarded by Mr. Roblado thinking that there might be some good in you. I'm afraid I'll have to tell him that his judgement is the poorest I've ever seen because all I see is insects worthy to be squashed underneath my boot. I can pick better men than you - far better - who are actually capable of getting the job done! The world has no need for men who don't take their jobs seriously!"

"What the hell do you think we're supposed to do, huh? We didn't ask for this!"

"What?"

"Shut up Mateo!"

"But it's true!" Mateo pulls himself and wobbles on his feet clumsily. "We had no prior training! He forced us into this position! We didn't have a choice in the matter!"

Shepard turns to glance at Sin who gives no sign of acknowledging their accusations. She doesn't know how to feel about this... but still... even if they weren't trained... they still could have at least attempted to do their jobs.

"I can't find myself to care." Shepard snarls.

If they were stuck in this position... well... Shepard thought that she might as well make the most of it. If Mr. Roblado wouldn't supply them with training, she would have to take the initiative, that way she knows that Katy will actually be safe without worrying about her. Although she doens't feel that anyone would ever be as excellent as herself when it came to Katy's protection, the least she could do was make sure that Katy wouldn't be limited to only one body-guard.

"Sin. Do you have any training grounds?"

It's a long shot.

"No."

Anddddd a complete miss!

"Well, is there anywhere I can train these worthless pieces of trash?"

Sin hums contemplatively before eventually nodding in affirmation.

"We have some old cardboard cut-outs of celebrities Mr. Roblado received as a gift from his cousin. We could use them as shooting targets. I can bring them out to the backyard. Around the lake -..."

"Thank you Sin." Shepard is truly grateful for this omnic. Dang, how could anyone dislike Sin? Especially when he was so helpful? She could just grab him into a hug right then and there if it wasn't so odd. "I want you all outside tomorrow morning - 5:00 AM - on the clock."

Immediately she hears complaints rise and arupt from Mateo and his companions. They couldn't see the large scowl concealed by Shepard's helmet but boy was she ready to knock some heads together. Were these guys children?

Wait -

Were they?

Come to think of it, they didn't look older than 18.

What?

What was even going on in this place?

"You can either show up tomorrow or be reported to Mr. Roblado."

That shut them up. Good. Shepard hated whiners. With this she grabs Katy's hand and leads her out of the room. Of course, not before turning to glance at the tutor, gesturing towards him and the door with the nod of her chin. The man seemed to get the gist as he shot up as fast as a jack-rabbit, stumbling towards the door after her.

"I expect you'll make sure they're fit for tomorrow Sin." Shepard leaves her last regard to the omnic. The omnic, bless his heart, nods curtly. She knows under his care they'll be ready for training in the morning. Sin, unlike this group of teenagers, was known to get the job done. She could trust him as long as it came to finishing something up correctly. She could understand why Mr. Roblado trusted the omnic so much despite apparent racisim against the entire omnic race in the world. Shepard herself still wasn't too certain on omnics relations with humans. She couldn't tell if they were genuinely real. They were like advanced AIs... except not as emotionless... with EDI being a prime example. Although even EDI had protocols to follow whilst omnics were completely free. At least... that's what it seemed like. Perhaps they simply thought they were free but were actually following some sort of hidden protocol? Maybe she was just thinking too much about this.

"You're going to train them?" Katy speaks up timidly. Knowing how sensitive children are to emotion, Shepard gets that Katy might feel intimidated by her, who had been fuming with anger just a few seconds ago. This Katy was completely different than the one she had been masquerading around with as 'Overwatch' heroes earlier.

This Katy -

This Katy -

Her -

Shepard can only see that war-torn face once again. Blood trailing down her forehead. A scowl - worse than the one she wore now - and hatred.

"Shepard?"

"Yes. I am. So they can protect you." Shepard lowers her voice to sound more gentle than before. Her chest swells as she forcefully pushes all feelings of frustration and anger down. It still churns in her gut and rises like a helium balloon but she does a good job of keeping it in and off her face. "If they don't, you might die." She puts this bluntly because she's not going to lie to Katy. Her situation meant possible death and there was no use batting around the bush when it came concerning the subject.

Katy falls silent as Shepard leads the little girl to her room. Well, quiet, until she squeaks in a small voice that Shepard almost didn't hear.

"I don't want to die."

Shepard feels a pang of sympathy for Katy. She was too young to be targeted... far too young... she still had a whole life to live out. A world to see. This world would be the home she was raised in. This world, was hers, while Shepard did not belong here. Katy had told her this before not too long ago, hadn't she?

At least... maybe... Shepard could make it enjoyable for Katy for the small time left that she would reside in the Roblado's home. Until she found her own way home, she would make sure Katy would learn not to hate her own, that way she would at least be able to find joy.

"Then live, Katy. Live."

.

The pack of teenagers group together just like a few awkward cadets she had met a few years back who could barely hold themselves up against 'the' Commander Shepard. Yet unlike those cadets, these teenagers held no respect for her, so she would make sure she told them a thing or two about respecting those who were older than them.

"Listen up!" She yells at the Spainard teenagers. "I want you to stand in a straight line!"

Luckily they complied even if it was reluctantly. Standing in a straight line, all the boys soon to be men stare at her in states of annoyance, except for the one on the far left who is staring at another boy with a vengeful glare.

"Sin! Where are the cardboard cut-outs?"

"I've secured them to the ground near the hedges -..." Sin points over to a few trimmed hedges where Shepard spots the boards quickly. "So that they won't move if shot. Hopefully the hedges will keep them from exploding into smithereens when they're knocked back."

"It's better than nothing." Shepard turns to the boys and grabs the Crusader from her hands. She shows it to them, the beautiful piece of technology, though they don't seem to be too interested. "This is a gun." She lectures. "It's not a toy. It _will_ kill people." She refers to finding the gun on the floor from earlier... because whoever had intended to use it might have been too stupid to understand that they would potentially kill someone.

Turns around and positions the gun so that she aims at one of the board's chests. She pulls the trigger and her shot shoots through the air. It lands exactly where she intended it to... and smugly turns to her new trainees.

"That's how you shoot a gun."

"Poor Lucio." Sin mutters at the billboard cut-out.

Shepard ignores the omnic and her lips curve into a feral grin.

"After this it'll be hand-to-hand combat."

Oh man - her absolute favorite.

"It won't be nice."

It certainly wouldn't.

"It's going to hurt."

Yeah it was going to hurt. That was an understatement.

"And don't be afraid to hit me just because I'm a girl."

Because she'd hit them a lot harder.

"Let's get started shall we?"

This was going to be fun.

.

Mr. Roblado had been perplexed when his boys returned to him with bruises twice the size of the bruises they had before in their own scuffle they had a day prior. Sin had informed him about everything even before they had headed out to the garden but he was still _shocked_ to see the most toughest, hard-headed, large of stature, kids he had employed were limping back to their shared room. They never listened to anyone... and it had been a bit of stretch to employ them to be by his daughter's side... but they were loyal to a fault. He knew they wouldn't harm her, not if it meant angering him, so he trusted that they wouldn't involve her in their well-known fights.

"What happened?" He scratches the back of his head.

"That _woman..._ " One of them spats out... "Worked us half to death! Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Mr. Roblado barked a laugh.

"No way! This is too entertaining!"

He turned to walk away leaving behind a confused boy clutching his bruised arm.

At this rate, Shepard deserved a raise.

What a nice little turn of events.

With this... he can actually work faster than intended...

He smiles.

What wonderful news.

"Sin?" He calls out. He doesn't even see him but the omnic reveals himself from the shadows of a curtain anyways.

"Yes?" He answers obediently.

"We can speed up the transaction. Make sure our little _pest_ doesn't get in the way again. We might have more fighters by the time he decides to show his face again."

"But they can't improve nearly that quickly." Sin interjects.

"Oh no Sin - those boys are special - they're fast learners." Mr. Roblado smirks. "Because if they don't learn fast, they know they'll end up in agony, and we know how unfortunate that is."

"Of course."

.

AN: Can't see reviews at the moment because of a well-known server bug. I'll be able to respond to the newest ones in a few days after they appear.

Whew, I'm glad to finally get this chapter out. I rewrote it multiple times because I didn't like how it was turning out. I spent hours on revising this. I'm also going back to previous chapter to turn past _italics_ that I wrote in turn of showing readers that someone is speaking in another language to the normal font. I find it unpleasant and tedious to continue writing like this. It might be a bit slow but eventually all the chapters will be revised. I've gone over this chapter once already and I'm _pretty sure_ I got all the grammar mistakes. I'll be sure to check it again tomorrow when I have a clearer mind.

To the two reviews that I _did_ see though -

Skittertale: Thank you! That actually flattered me so much that it helped me continue writing on the chapter.

Zealous specter: Ehh I actually wasn't planning for any romance, my apologies. I'm not too good at writing romance. I mean, I've attempted it before, and probably will again but not in this story. Thank you _soooo_ much for reviewing though! I love it when people review! I'm sure all authors do.


	13. Chapter 13

Mateo's lips curve downwards into a nasty scowl. That _woman,_ Shepard they called her, was a slave-driver. She was relentless and she'd always demand something called 'respect' which is lost on him. Respect, he knows, is admiration for someone whether it be small or large.

Respect - Admiration.

 _He had no admiration for the damned woman._

Who was she to suddenly walk into his life, command him to do even _more_ work than before, assuming that he'd be willing to the task? To think she had the audacity to push him around like a rag-doll with a set of unrealistic expectations for him. She kept telling him that he'd be better, he'd do better, he'd feel better, but he doesn't want any of that. He didn't want ANY of this! The stupid woman thinks she can use age to knock him down on the ground, he's known people who've done that before, and they usually were always the ones punching down their kin. Their blood. They don't think twice about it, they just do it, because they know they can. They use power - authority - to take advantage of others.

He despised her.

Sure she knows how to throw a punch and how to shoot a gun but that doesn't make her impressive. He's only impressed with his friends who show him things he's never seen before who guide him when he needs help. He clings to them even when it might not be the healthiest thing to do. He trails after their heels while they do the same when they need the support. They all had a tight-nit relationship and no woman was going to interfere into what they've worked so hard to gain.

Sure she might be the bodyguard of Mr. Roblado's precious daughter but... she was replaceable.

Replaceable.

He grits his teeth, that was what Mr. Roblado thought of all of his employees, _replaceable._

Yet for some reason Shepard was well valued - he saw how he treated her - with those beaming smiles. He never treated any of them like that.

He kicks a rock and it's sent flying towards the wall of the alleyway he had just turned into. It was a bad part of town, the slums, and everyone knew that it wasn't safe. Not even someone under Mr. Roblado's esteemed protection was safe because no one thinks twice before bashing their fist into someone's face. However no one usually takes this alleyway because it was the smelliest place one could be with the garbage laying around _everywhere._ The floor was littered with old magazines, plastic, moldy food, and all sort of undesirable things that keeps people away. Even Mateo thinks twice when he steps foot in the alleyway but it doesn't stop him from walking forward.

Walking forward into an invisible wall.

It surprises him when he's sent back by something that he can't see. It felt like a body, not a wall, but he couldn't determine that. Not when he's too shocked to think. Even so his curiosity gets the best of him as he sends his hand forward to touch the invisible force but unfortunately the invisible force touched _him_ first. It pokes his nose and he stumbles backwards once more. _What in the world -...?_

"Aha! You should have seen the look on your face! Oh man, priceless!" Something laughed, the voice sounded feminine, and Mateo is more spooked than before. He considers turning around the way he came until a figure appears out of the air and she's just a _work of art_ with the purple glow about her. Everything about her is eye-catching - although Mateo doesn't consider this a good thing - because people that stood out in this part of town usually meant _bad._ Get away. Danger. Not safe.

"W-What do you want!?" Mateo feigns confidence even when his voice betrays him. He straightens himself to seem taller; more imposing.

"Don't worry!" She raises two hands in the air as a peace offering. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk is all."

"Right..." He trails off skeptically. No one just wanted to _talk_ around here... never.

"Well my friend!" She walks towards him and slinks an arm around his shoulders. He's taken-aback at her boldness and figures that it'd be best to struggle against her until bright purple screens appear out of nowhere in front of his very eyes. The woman waves her hand in front of her as she slides panels across towards him and narrates whilst doing so, "I've noticed some pretty neat things here at Galende - there are some serious beautiful sights - although some sights are a bit strange. Like this. Don't you agree?"

Mateo is shown pictures of him and his friends - laughing together at the docks as they heave crates onto ships with Mr. Roblado's giant glowing logo - and he knows what this is. She's _threatening him._ Of all the nerve... How... Was she spying on them? How? He hadn't even seen her? Wait... she had just been invisible hadn't she?

"And I just thought, how could such nice looking boys be working for one of the most feared men in Spain? Shame." She waves another panel towards him. "I mean, if anyone ever found out what kind of business you were in, your poor family would be ruined wouldn't they? Killed! It's just horrible!"

Mateo stares at his little brother smiling ear to ear alongside his frail mother, who looked as if she was struggling to stand up, but that didn't stop the angelic smile on her face as she stared into the camera.

"Friends, family, they're all important to you right?"

"O... Of course..." Mateo struggled to speak.

He felt only one thing -

Fear.

He couldn't think properly or reasonably.

He was scared.

 _Scared._

 _Oh please please please - don't hurt them - don't hurt any of them._

 _I need help - I need -_

 _I need -_

"I can help protect them you know!" The woman shuts off all the panels of light and pulls her arm back from his shoulders. She takes a few steps forward before turning on her heels swiftly to face him. Bringing a hand up to her face, she examined her nails in a fashion that made her seem uninterested, as she continued talking, "Not a problem for me really. I'm capable of a lot of things. All I need is something from you."

"Me...? What could I do?"

Mateo was so helpless -

Replaceable.

"Well I'm glad you asked amigo! Does this woman look familiar?" She flashes a screen in front of him with the swipe of her raised hand. He stares at the image as it clicks in his brain. Yes, yes, he does know her. Shepard. "I'm kinda' looking for her you know and you just happen to be working for her boss."

"What... are you going to do if you find her?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The woman laughed.

"Would you... kill her...?"

His heart skips a beat.

"I don't think you need that much information." The woman crosses her arms against her chest as she shifts on one leg to another. "I just need a way to have her in the open - _anything really -_ and I need information on her schedule."

"Schedule..." Mateo had never thought of what the woman did in her day.

The woman nodded before she seemed to be caught away by something else, something that causes her to pull her fingers up to her ear, and listen carefully to... the wind? What was it?

" _I'm busy._ " She hisses before she looks up at Mateo with a quick smile. "Right right -... look... Mateo."

She pulls her hand away from her ear before placing it on his shoulder.

"If you help me I'll help you. Promise. I can even help you escape Mr. Roblado's employment."

 _Now that struck a chord in him -_

"What do I have to do?" There's no more hesitation.

"Ah! Now there's a good kid! I just need you to give information on our lovely Shepard to me, anything you can find, search her room if you have to. If you _can."_ The woman corrects herself. "And figure out what she does during her free-time and when her guard duty starts and ends. Everything you can possibly tell me and I will return the favor."

"How... how would I give any information to you?"

"Oh no worries - I'll be in touch." She smirks. Pulling back from Mateo she gives an exaggerated wave before vanishing into thin air.

He may not be able to see her but he can hear her as she says, "Don't fail me Mateo!"

.

Shepard had often seen the maids do this for Katy but when they hadn't arrived on time Shepard took action.

"Not too hard!"

"Yeah - sorry..." Shepard grimaced as she tried to get the tangles out of Katy's hair with a brush. Shepard herself was a comb sort of woman because it was small and easy to carry around. Even then she didn't use it often because what was the use of bringing out a comb in the middle of battle? Shepard continues to brush through Katy's hair with gentle hands after Katy had complained about how rough she was being but what could Shepard say? Sometimes she didn't know her own strength.

"It's easier after I wash my hair." Katy states, her legs swinging playfully as she shifts slightly in her chair.

"I can imagine." Shepard mumbles with amusement. She continues her movement of brushing until something glimmers, catching her eye, and she stops for a moment to take a good look at it. It's such a strange thing because it stands out and Shepard knows anyone would be able to notice it if Katy didn't have long hair. Her hair concealed the back of her neck most of the time but...

It looked like a piece of technology was embedded in the back of Katy's neck. It resembled a chip... Shepard wonders if it's sensitive to touch and is half tempted to brush her fingers over it until Katy snaps back her attention by saying, "Aren't you supposed to train those boys again today?"

 _Right._ She nearly forgot.

The thought of Katy's strange accessory on the back of her neck pushed aside Shepard knew it hadn't been too long since she started training the group of inexperienced boys. A tad of pride begins to pick up in her chest as she thinks of how quickly some of them had picked up new information but then again there were the few that refused to learn from her. Mateo, for example, was the most stubborn out of the boys she had met who held a large influence over the others. Sometimes he could get them all to throw a giant fit and threaten to overpower her with their numbers. It never fazed Shepard though, as she'd just stand there and stare at them through her helmet, with an eerie silence that would make them think twice.

Mateo _seemed,_ from observation, as if he was the leader of the group. To get through them she'd have to somehow get through him. He voiced his thoughts much more boldly than the rest and while she didn't want to restrict his bold personality - considering that it might someday become his strength rather than a weakness - she understood that he had a large influence over the others. Although... the binds of their relationships seemed to be wavering whenever he'd claim he knew how the rest of his friends were feeling. They didn't seem so keen on his outspoken ideas on how they individually felt about their situation which allowed Shepard to come to the conclusion that they weren't of a hive mind, they were all different, with different ideals. They must have been brought together by _something_ that made Mateo take charge.

"Mateo..." Shepard grumbles. What a troublesome student. He didn't like her no matter what she did but... then again... she hadn't really done anything _nice_ when she met them. She had yelled at the on the first day they met and... perhaps... perhaps she should show more compassion.

But when she remembers her previous drill instructors, how they cared little about those under them, she wonders if it was a good idea to show any kindness when they needed _so much discipline._

Everything was just a blur - sometimes she even forgot she was a functioning human being - because it all smogs out in her mind.

But the waves of pain would remind her too.

The headaches. They only appear when she thinks about _her_ Earth - her universe - her life. I mean, she can only assume that this was a different universe, because _can there be two identical Earths?_ Sure there are different things that made them distinguishable from each other but they held so many similar qualities that sometimes it made her feel queasy. The countries were named the same, the people looked just like her (utterly human), and above Earth was the very same moon she had looked at long ago.

 _There it goes again -_ Shepard thinks - as her head throbs predictably. She places the brush down on the dresser before using a free hand to massage the back of her head but it just seems to agitate it even further.

"Is something wrong Shepard?"

Yes.

"No." Shepard lies through her teeth. She's so _good_ at lying that she's almost ashamed of it. "I'm alright. Was just wondering if my hair looked as nice as yours."

Katy gushes, "Oh no... your hair is even more beautiful."

"Really?" Shepard is doubtful. Her hair had been so short but it's been growing out much more since she had landed here. Now it reached her shoulders... maybe she should get a trim.

"I've always wanted red hair." Katy admits. "It's rare."

"You shouldn't be envious of mine when your own is like a flowing river." Shepard has no idea where the poetic words come from but she dismisses them as soon as she runs a hand through Katy's hair affectionately. "Just like your mother. She has the same hair."

"Yeah my maids always point that out." Katy shrugs. "Mom doesn't seem to talk about it much though or... at all."

Now that was certainly true - Mrs. Roblado was such a quiet person when around her family - compared to when she hanged out with her friends. The woman was a talking machine at the small tea parties she would organize for her small group of associates. When she's near Mr. Roblado and Katy she's as quiet as a mouse never making a squeak unless spoken to. Even Sin would talk for her if she didn't speak up and he supposedly knew her so well as to know exactly what she wanted. Maybe. The woman just nodded along to whatever the omnic said.

Mrs. Roblado was a mystery.

"Well let's head off Katy, can't leave you here alone without anyone to watch over you, so you'll have to come with me to your guards' training."

"Do I have to come?"

"Yes. You might even learn a thing or two." Shepard watched as Katy picks herself up from her chair. Her shoulders slump forward in a visible pouting manner. "It won't be too bad."

Shepard _thinks_ it won't be too bad. Hopefully. Maybe they'll listen to her this time.

.

"Danilo!" Shepard shouts out to the clumsy teen. He was the largest out of all of them but he also seemed to be the most clumsiest. It was as if he didn't know what to do with half of his body-parts which is why he was struggling to even aim the gun she had given him. To make sure that no one would suddenly turn on her, she had decided that each boy would take turns shooting, and Danilo was the first in line. He had brought the rifle up to his shoulder before it slid down while he shifted his grip on it. "Hold it properly! You don't want a busted gut!"

"I know what I'm doing." The boy says but he doesn't which is why Shepard has to correct him several times.

"Okay now that you know how to hold it - why don't you try shooting the cut-out?" Shepard gestures towards the cut out in front of him. The boy grunts as he pulls the trigger, the bullet flying from the gun, and the gun itself making Danilo stumble backwards in abrupt shock.

"I did tell you there was a recoil." Shepard reminded him but even a recoil shouldn't be able to send him back a few steps - it had been the shock Denilo had witnessed after firing the gun.

"I - I don't like guns." Denilo decided.

Shepard blinks and wondered if she heard correctly.

"But... Denilo..." She couldn't believe it. "Weren't you the most eager to learn how to use a gun?"

It was true, he was the only one who showed enthusiasm, but now he didn't seem to want to participate at all.

"Well... I just... I can't handle..."

"You can." Shepard assures. "It'll be like second nature to you. An extension of yourself."

The boy shakes his head as he takes a few steps back before turning on his heels to hand the rifle back to Shepard. The woman takes the gun and watches as Denilo walks off, shaking, and Mateo pulls himself away from the group to follow after him. It's most likely to comfort him but Shepard doesn't throw away the idea that it's just to get out of a training session.

Still, she lets him go.

Compassion. She thinks.

Is this what she was thinking of when she thought of showing compassion? She's done it before, plenty of times, but she's never thought about it so hard as she was now.

"Okay Valence, you're next." Shepard sighs. Everyone had a long way to go, including her.

.

AN: As I was wondering how to write this chapter revelation hit me and BA'AM I wrote this chapter. I'll probably be updating more regularly now that I have a good idea on how to write the next few chapters. I can't promise though, nor can I promise that it'll be consistent, but I don't plan to ever abandon this story if you have any doubts. This is honestly my favorite fanfiction that I've written so far so - heh.

Ursaris: Once again thank you for your long and thoughtful review. I PM'd you personally but I just wanted to say again that I have a lot of gratitude for the time you spent in reviewing the previous chapters.

Skittertale: Sheep-person. Hahhh.

Mitsuki Shigamatsu: Mr. Roblado. A strange figure indeed - _


	14. Chapter 14

With adrenaline bursting through her veins all she can think about is herself. She had so much to live for, so much to do, and how would she accomplish any of it if she was found with dead on the concrete? All she could hear was the beat of her pounding heart and her feet clicking against the concrete. In one hand she held both of her pink stilettos that had gotten in the way of her running but she keeps them with her instead of carelessly discarding them. After all they might just prove to be good weapons to defend herself if her pursuers caught up to her. She knew what a stiletto heel could do to a man's eye and she wasn't afraid to take action when her life was being threatened.

Even so the skin of her soles scraped against the sidewalk as she ran forward clumsily - looking over her shoulder to see the distant form of figures chasing after her - and feeling a tinge of relief that the men chasing her were more unfit than she was. Her relief was ill-founded when she feels a hand grab hold of her wrist. It tugs her so hard that she falls onto the ground with a yelp, landing on her stomach, as the grip on her wrist tightens so hard that she fears it'll bruise. With a whimper she lifts her chin off the ground even while it stings to get a look at her captor.

She hates that smirk on his face and the way he licks his lips is disgusting. It reminded her of a wolf licking his chops, ready to tear apart his catch. She struggles in vain, trying to pull herself away from his grip, as she attempts to stand back on her own two feet. The man isn't having it though and it shows it with a example of his strength by tightening his wrist once more. It's enough of a threat to make her realize that he could break her wrist if he wanted. The mere thought of all the pain he might inflict is enough to make her stop struggling, for a moment, as she inwardly debates her options. She could stay here and possibly be assaulted and left for dead… or… she could escape if she just had the right moment… the right… she clenches her right hand and widens her eyes when she notices that she didn't have the stilettos in her hand anymore. Her only weapons, the only thing she could use against them, laying discarded on the ground a few inches away from her.

"Please!" She cried out. "Let me go! Have mercy!" And though she begs she doubted he would take any of her words to heart. Sociopaths do not feel for their victims, they leave them to the cold, and to the parasites that eat away at the flesh. "Help! Anyone! Help me! Please!" She stopped talking to her captor and instead yelled at the surrounding buildings. Any light that might have been on flickered off as those around her pretended not to hear her pleas in concern for their own well-being, ready to overlook her safety for their own, and this devastated her.

So _much_ to live for.

 _So much to do._

"Good job on catching the little sphinx! A tricky one she was." She heard the gasping breath of the men that had been chasing her earlier. They finally caught up.

 _No._

No!

She struggles again and it does nothing. She knows it does nothing but she keeps trying anyway. Her body is screaming for her to get away, instincts yelling at her that she'd die if she stayed in this position, but the man holding her in a death-grip didn't care. He kept her in a firm grip, his grin absolutely feral as he stared down at her body, eyes roaming her curves.

 _NO!_

"HELP!"

"Shut _UP_ Alicia. Do you have to be so whiny?"

"Hey hey don't talk to her like that. I like the ones that struggle."

"Haha well-..."

"Fernando…?"

One of the hoodlums turn and see that his friend had stopped talking because he had vanished in his spot. In shock, the hoodlum takes a step back, before glancing at the one bruising her wrist painfully.

"Aiyahhh - you playing some sort of trick on us? It ain't the time man!" The hoodlum yells out. The three were silent as they heard nothing but the crickets sing in the dead of the night. Their friend didn't reply back at all and it seemed to worry the two delinquents enough to put them on edge.

"Boo."

From Alicia's vantage point she can't see much but she could hear everything. The startled scream of one of her pursuers as they fiddle with their belt to grab a gun. He pulls the trigger and Alicia flinches at the sound of the gunshot.

"Shouldn't treat a lady like that you know. It's not very kind."

"You whore!"

Alicia hears the sound of grunting and gunfire until she hears a thud, like someone falling to the ground. Before she knows it, she's tugged upward painfully, a gun pointed underneath her chin towards her brain. She already knew what this situation was… she was being used as a her eyes tightly she braced herself for the bullet that might lodge itself in her skull.

"Too slow!" A voice chirped and before she knows it the gun is swiped from underneath her chin. In shock Alicia's attacker takes a few steps back, enough steps to allow Alicia to run forward a few feet, and her captor reaches out his hand to stop her from going any further before he gets a nasty hit to the head with the handle of a gun. He falls to the ground in a heap - knocked out cold.

Alicia looks up fearfully.

"No worries, love! Calvary's here!"

.

It had been just three days since she had taken a group of trainees under her wing and already she had a good view of their personalities. Denilo was large with a mop of messy brown hair and he was usually standing protectively in front of the group alongside Mateo since he could probably take down any kid who challenged them with a good punch or two. Aside from the fact that he seemed well-versed on street-combat he couldn't handle a gun in the slightest which was something she had to work on.

Valence was the backup. If anything happened to any of the members of their group he'd step up. When Mateo had left to chase after Denilo after his little gun incident Valence had taken the initiative to lead the other two until Mateo returned… or at least that was what it looked like. Shepard wasn't even sure the boys themselves were aware of their own positions they had created in their group but she had been able to root them all out in just a few hours. Their tightly knitted pack showed a working team. Mateo, as disrespectful as he may be, was actually quite the leader. He looked out for the rest in his own way though he might not show his fondness for them outwardly. He had gained their respect even if they may not agree on many things.

Then there were the last two. Juan and Javier. They were the quiet observers. Juan showed a bit more character than Javier who usually did everything he was asked obediently without a flicker of a single emotion.

"I did _not_ agree to this."

On Shepard's Earth they had paintball. On this Earth, they had paintball, but with superior guns. When she had found a stash of paintball guns in the armory she had asked Sin on whether or not they were types of weapons left behind by the previous guards. When she had found out they were paintball guns _ohhh did she_ **know** she was going to have to use them on her trainees. Sure enough she had presented to them and _civil war broke out._ When she said 'start' nearly all of them darted their own ways with paint already soaring over her head and splatting against the bushes behind her. Luckily they couldn't aim for crap so it'd take a while before they'd actually be able to aim at her correctly, much to her amusement, and she was going to have so much fun whooping their butts. She'd show them the true skills of a rifleman - of an infiltrator - _of a soldier._

Twisting herself out of the center of view she hides behind a large hedge crafted into a sculpture of an unidentifiable man she couldn't give two thoughts about. All she was focused on were finding her hidden boys as she scanned the surrounding area. She had seen where they had all ran but now she would have to locate them from her vantage point. Shockingly enough, just from a good moment of sitting down for a few minutes behind the towering hedge covering her whereabouts, she had come to acknowledge that while they weren't too experienced… _they were good sneaks._ She hadn't heard anything since she had hidden herself. Could it be they were working together?

 _Plop!_

Or not.

"ARGHH! You think you can handle THE VALENCE!?" A voice shouted out as she heard paintballs being fired. She moves towards the direction of sounds. She walks through a walkway surrounded by high looming ledges, turning the corner to see a grove of rose bushes, and spotted Valence and Juan shooting at each other like mad men. The beautiful red roses near them were already dyed blues and yellows that would most likely give her a good scolding by her employer.

Ducking behind a bush she listened to the two for a while until finally decided to let them battle them out since there were three more boys she had to concern herself with. Crawling away from the fiasco that was Valence and Juan - she stood up when she got to a hedge that would hide her whole person. From the looks of her surroundings she could either go back to her sculptured bush or head towards the fountain that was encircled in the middle of this whole… maze… even if it wasn't intended to be a maze. It was rather confusing now that she thought about it but it was a great place to hide from enemies. Maybe if things got bad she could send Katy down here. It'd be difficult to find her if she hid well enough.

Shepard continued forward through the winding paths surrounded by hedges until stopping in place. Denilo wasn't too far ahead, cuddling his knees near his chest, with the paintball gun laid near his side untouched.

Shepard sighed.

This kid. Seriously.

"Denilo." She addressed. Valence nearly jumped out of his skin when she called out to him and his head shot up in surprise. When he spotted her the panic in his eyes were clear but they slowly faded away into a pathetic look of surrender.

"I suck at this game." He gives out a sad chuckle. "Can't even… handle a paintball gun."

Shepard took a few more steps forward so that she was only a few feet away from Denilo. She thought about kneeling down next to him but decided against it. Instead… she slowly lifted her paintball gun… and aimed it at his hopeless face. Paintballs to the face were painful and not advised but with his face mask discarded on the ground as well... If she were to pull the trigger, Denilo would suffer for it, and it would be a good lesson to teach him. Don't just _sit around, hide,_ and make sure the enemy doesn't find you if you aren't prepared for it.

She doesn't pull the trigger though.

"What if I was someone who wanted to kill you?" She asked.

"You're _not._ " Denilo.

"It's a hypothetical question."

"You're not someone who wants to kill me. I know people who actually _do_ want me to die. You're not one of them."

"Oh?" This was interesting news but she wouldn't pry too much. "So you'd rather sit there and let them take you down defenseless?"

"I think I deserve it… I… I can't even handle a gun after all… not after…" He pales. "Whatever… it doesn't really matter."

"Denilo." She aims right between his eyes. She'll need to change tactics to get through to him. "What if I wanted to harm someone important to you? Your friends?"

"I'd rush to protect them of course!"

"You're not much use dead." Shepard told him. "All you are is a meat shield."

"No - I can help them in different ways!"

"Then why are you here? What if you drag them down because of your inability to protect yourself, let alone protect a little girl? What do you think will happen to your friends if you fail to protect Mr. Roblado's youngest? Would he not be infuriated with you? Would you not suffer grave consequences?"

Denilo tensed at the sound of Mr. Roblado's name.

 _Interesting._

"It's not easy." She tells him, her arms grow stiff from being in the same position but she makes no effort to move them, "Killing someone. Sometimes they haunt you but what's worse is seeing the faces of those you didn't save."

She remembered the little boy.

How he died.

Even if he was just an illusion he had _seemed_ so real. She had wondered, why had she escaped Earth with not many scratches, while some innocent boy had died without any chance to grow up?

"Besides, you don't have to go through it alone." She assured him as many of her crew member's faces appeared in her mind's view. "You have friends. I can see your loyalty to each other. If someone were in the same position as you were in Denilo, would you be happy with seeing them like as you are now?"

"No…"

"Denilo. Pick up your paintball gun."

Shakily he reached for his paintball gun and supported it upwards with both hands. It shakes in his hands but it was a step forward. With a small smirk quirking upwards on the corner of her lips Shepard knew that this was just the beginning but it still was an important thing for Denilo to learn. Maybe in a different life he would be a simple man with a normal cilvilian life but unfortunately he was here. It was her job to make sure he knew how to do the job he was in and there wasn't much more to it. For now he would have to brace himself for the oncoming storms he would face and hopefully she would be able to prepare him enough to triumph them all.

"Also - you lose." She lowered her aim so that she got a clear shot at his back. The paintball flies out of her gun and lands on his black shirt. "Dead."

Denilo frowns and Shepard lets out a chuckle she didn't even know she had.

"I'm sure there are others waiting to coat you in paint."

She turned her back towards him and was about to leave until _ba'am!_

"Oh you did not just -..." Shepard turned on her heels. She was pleasently surprised for Denilo of all people to take a surprise shot at her. "Oh it is _on._ " She aimed her gun at Denilo once more, the purple paint on her back long forgotten, as she was now focused solely on revenge.

Denilo paled.

.

Shepard had only been shot once the entire game and that had been by Denilo. It was impressive he used her moment of weakness for a nice shot to the back but she wouldn't allow herself to be outdone. That was why Denilo had been coated head to toe with green paint splotches all over his clothes. Valence and Juan were also covered in paint because of their personal battle with one another. Mateo, on the other hand, glared at Javier as the boy stared impassively back at him. There were a few unspoken words between the two and Shepard had no idea what had happened. All she knew was that Mateo had multiple white spots while Javier had 0 spots of paint located on his body.

"That is all for today. Go take showers and relax. I expect you all to report back to me in the morning at the usual time. Don't be late. Tomorrow we will be reviewing Katy's schedule and how you are to properly her. Dismissed."

As she watched them all head back inside the mansion she didn't miss the curious glance of Mateo. It was quick but he had looked at her before quickly averting his gaze.

"Strange boy." Was all she could say to herself.

He gave her an eerie feeling.

Shepard did not like eerie feelings.

.

AN: Still working on detailing things better but here's the next chapter regardless. It was about time I introduced all of the boys too since I usually just make Shepard call them, 'group of boys' and so on and so forth. Thank you for the reviews! Love you guys that take the time to write to me! I've started updating this story again! For a while I just didn't know how to write _this_ specific chapter so I was in the dark for a while. It was particularly hard introducing Tracer but I'm so glad I got it done!


	15. Chapter 15

"Do you know why my daddy called me Katy?"

Shepard stops looking at her Crusader and lifts her eyes upwards where Katy sat at her desk. The homework she had been assigned was laid in front of her scattered with little thought. Shepard doesn't keep her eyes on it long even though something in the back of her mind tells her that she should be scolding the girl for not being diligent in her studies. She was just a body-guard. Not her mother. It wasn't her job to tell Katy what to do, it was her job to protect Katy, and with that reminder she restrains herself.

When Shepard doesn't answer Katy takes that as an incentive to continue.

"It means pure." Katy begins to smooth out her hair, her fingers hovering over the back of her neck, but they don't land to touch her skin. "He said I was the only good thing in his life. I still think I am. I think that only I can help my daddy. That's what he said too. Only I can help him." Her eyes lay over her homework and Shepard wonders what would have provoked Katy to share this information with her. Not that she minded. Conversing with Katy was the best thing that happened to her today. The training she put the gang of unruly boys through was tiring and she was exhausted coming up with personal training regimens for each one of them. They all learned differently so she had to come up with ways to keep it through their thick skulls that as bodyguards, they had one job, and that was protect the person they were guarding.

"I wonder why he said that?" Shepard said. She only said it to give Katy more reason to talk. It was much more refreshing than the monotonous voice that Sin had. The very one he used earlier on her when informing her of her duties. The omnic was a kind one but he was such a bore sometimes. She had found herself dozing - _standing up_ mind you - just by hearing the draw of his voice. It was then that she realized she didn't get much sleep in the first place. The average person needed eight hours of sleep to be healthy. She was working on four hours of sleep every night because of how much her thoughts kept her up. Sometimes she'd find herself wandering around the halls by Katy's room with the constant worry that someone would attempt to assassinate Katy in her own bed.

"I dunno'." Katy said solemnly. She lifted her pencil and started to write once more as if the conversation they shared had never occurred in the first place. It left Shepard to her thoughts. Garrus used to call her an over-thinker because of the chaos that went on in her head. She always had to plan, always had to prepare, because if she didn't she could put her life in danger. Not only that but she put her crew member's lives in danger. What's worse is that they _trusted her_ with their lives and she'd never advise anyone to do such. As good as it was that they followed her orders they were dependent on her leading abilities.

Shepard breaks from her thoughts when she hears a knock on the door. Katy looks up and turns her chin towards Shepard. Shepard gives her a swift nod, signaling her to stay where she was, and cautiously raised from Katy's bedside to approach the door. She carefully opened it and was confused to see Mateo standing outside. He was lazily dangling a phone from his hand that he held up so that she could see it. Shepard cocks an eyebrow underneath her helmet - unseen to him - but she makes sure he knows her confusion.

"What this?" She asks.

He shrugs.

"Someone wanted to talk to you." He said. "Said they knew you, or something like that."

Shepard accepted the phone warily. She had no clue where Mateo was getting at but she'd try it out regardless.

She put the phone up to where her ear was even if it was concealed by her helmet. She tried her best to listen until she realized there wasn't much point in doing that. It was on speaker phone.

" _Shepard._ " The womanly voice has her name rolling off of their tongue. Just because they know her name doesn't mean they know _her_ so this must be going somewhere. " _Assuming you're Shepard anyways. Mateo is such a good boy, isn't he? Doing exactly what I said! Mateo, what you did was excellent, but can you leave me and Shepard to speak alone for a bit?"_

Mateo grunts as he closes the door in front of him, leaving Shepard facing the door just a few inches away from her face, but she could care less. She's listening closely.

" _I suppose introductions are in order. I'm Sombra - master hacker - and I was the one who infiltrated the manor."_

Shepard narrows her eyes.

"What is it that you want?" She questions.

" _Oh - I want_ _ **so**_ _much._ " Sombra stops for a moment as if distracted by something else but she continues onward, " _Like, Katy, for example. You see I don't exactly HAVE to kill her. It's just my superiors who want her dead."_

"And you're telling me this because…?"

 _"Because I think we can strike an accord. I know you're just a mercenary. Money can be involved."_

Shepard glances at Katy from over her shoulder.

"I have an obligation." She stated simply.

" _You don't have to._ " Sombra interjects quickly. _"You could be on your merry way, maybe to a five-star hotel, on some sort of beach somewhere. I'd make sure you'd be free from my superior's eyes. They wouldn't know you even existed."_

Shepard laughs inwardly because _she doesn't exist_ in this world. She has no records in this world, not anything to identify her, and that's what makes it hilarious when she thinks some sort of organization would attempt to locate her. She was off the grid. Completely. She had put no effort into it, certainly, but it was the truth of her coming to this strange world.

"I won't give her to you." Shepard says resolutely.

" _Ah chica, don't make this so hard!"_ Sombra groans. _"How about we meet up instead? Just me and you. No one else. We can negotiate the terms there."_

Shepard rolls her eyes.

"And let you bring back-up to gang up on me? Kill me? I think not."

 _"Alright. You've made me resort to begging. Congratulations. Look, tomorrow, at 8:00 AM when Katy is in for her tutoring session -..."_

"How exactly do you know that?" Shepard says swiftly. Not many people even knew Katy's schedule so -...?

" _If you'd let me finish… anyways… a sniper will be settled in the tree against the western gate. She'll wait for the opportune moment when Katy goes out for practicing her horse riding. In exchange for this information, I expect you to meet up with me on the docks located near the assorted shared warehouses called Scum. 10:00 PM. Don't be late."_

"I won't be there." Shepard growls into the phone but Sombra had already hung up on her.

She wanted to push away Sombra's claims as if it were just some bluff but if someone was really going to attempt to kill Katy tomorrow… well… She'd have to keep an eye out. Not only that but the woman could have set this whole thing up. Placing a sniper in the tree where she said the marksman would be just to get her out of the manor and attack Katy unaware.

 _"Over-thinker._ " Garrus' voice rings in her head.

Shepard feels tiny hands wrap around her waist. Katy was hugging her from behind, resting her head on Shepard's back.

"I don't want to die, Shepard." Katy whispered.

And Shepard had to agree. She didn't want Katy to die either.

.

The next morning she is stiff and tense. She attempted to force herself to relax but it seemed that every method she tried wouldn't work. She thinks it's impossible for her when she's scanning her surroundings every few seconds. She tries to spot anything out of the ordinary. The warning that was given to her occupies all her thoughts. She can't spend any brain power in answering Sin who has his hands clasped behind his back, standing straight in front of her, asking her questions that she only replies with tiny nods or grunts of affirmation. Sin could tell that she was alert but the omnic didn't understand why. He had only left her to her duties as she followed on Katy's heel. She was prepared to move. She was in a position that she could use herself to body block Katy from a sniper shot. Her shields should be enough for a couple of shots assuming the sniper rifle wasn't particularly as powerful as the weapons they had back home in her world.

Katy is different too. She was biting her nails nervously with her eyes shifting every which way. If you want to tell an assassin you know they're coming for you, this was exactly how to do it. Don't have an aura of calmness or relaxation. Look nervous, stiff, and worried. Look at your surroundings as if attempting to spot something that would be hard to find. Shepard just hoped the assassin wouldn't determine that from Katy's body language because she didn't want the sniper to adjust her position. Shepard knew where she would be. She scouted the area early in the morning before the staff woke and spotted the tree that had looked like a perfect place to conceal someone. It would be bothersome if the location for the sniper changed.

"Now this is the gear that is required when riding a horse. We wouldn't want you to bust your head if the horse kicks you off-..."

Shepard only hears sentences in clips. She tries not to move her head when she looks around. One thing that she had an advantage over is that the sniper wouldn't be able to discern her expressions because of the helmet. Nor would they be able to tell that Shepard was shifting her eyes around the area - just in case the sniper decided to make a last minute decision to change positions - but mostly she kept one eye on that exact tree.

And then she sees it - the flash of purple.

A grapple from the looks of it. It's quick and effective. The womanly figure Shepard sees rushes upwards, landing silently on a branch, and the woman is already propping her rifle up expertly. She moves her mouth as if informing someone on what she was doing before a visor clicks over her eyes. It's the strangest thing that Shepard has ever seen because it looked completely alien - like a spider almost - but Shepard figures that's what the woman was going for with that design.

The sniper does as predicted.

When Shepard sees that the woman is ready she immediately makes haste. She steps in front of Katy's body with little idea on when the woman would shoot. Her calculations seemed to award with good results as the sound of a gunshot rings through the area. The birds in the surrounding trees fly in a frightened flurry and Shepard feels a force collide with her shields. The bullet slides to the ground but Shepard doesn't dare examine it. It could still be active. Instead, one arm is around Katy and she moves to escort her. The horsing tutor is already running away so Shepard doesn't have to worry about having a casualty.

Another shot.

It hits her again, intent on killing her, assuming by the way the bullet had attempted to hit her head. It slides off her shields though and Shepard is relieved that her technology is working correctly.

"Katy. I need you to go inside. Walk with me. Okay? Don't look past me. Just look at me."

Katy nods fearfully. Shepard can feel her shaking underneath her and she wants nothing more than to comfort this poor little girl.

Another shot. The sniper is persistent. Her shields are suffering.

Shepard slowly moves Katy sideways with the calculated shots trying to get her head.

Then they reach the door. Shepard swings it open, throws Katy in, and turns around.

She had a sniper to face.

She charges forward even after another shot bounces off of her shields. She pulls out her Crusader when she gets into good range and Shepard drops on one knee to make her shot more accurate. She focuses and shoots. The sniper is smarter than she looks though because she is quick to jump off of her branch when she notices Shepard bring out her weapon. Shepard shoots again at the nimble woman who finds cover behind the trunk of the tree.

"What? Don't have anything but that sniper rifle?" Shepard taunts. She wanted to get the sniper out in the open.

The sniper does not reply.

Shepard gets up and walks forward warily. Her crusader is adjusted so that she can fire at any moment as she creeps forward.

"Why are you guys trying to kill Katy anyway? What did she do to you?"

Silence.

Shepard is so close to the trunk until the sound of a grapple sounds in her ears. The woman, in her attempt to escape, was going to jump over the gate. Shepard is quick to use her biotics to knock the woman off balance but she misses by mere inches. So she shoots again, the woman flying over the gate, and the bullet grazing past her as she dodges narrowly. It had skimmed her cheek though, Shepard can see because the blood on the concrete on the gate belonged to her.

" _I failed the objective._ " Shepard hears her mutter, in French.

Perhaps she thought Shepard wouldn't be able to hear her?

"Come back here coward!" She yells. She would try to jump the gate if it weren't so damn _tall._ It was a tall black gate with no way to see to the other side. It was clearly meant to keep people out and it gave no chance to admire the manor behind it. Then there's the second option - which is the biotic jump - and she does exactly that.

She jumps straight over it.

But when she lands, she looks both ways down the empty street and doesn't see the sniper anywhere. She sets to work to track the woman and notices the surrounding groves of trees with interest. Had there always been so many escape routes around the Roblado manor? It almost seemed too convenient.

"Damn it." Shepard curses.

.

" _You said she jumped over the gate?"_

"Yes." Widowmaker informs Reaper. She is less than happy with the results of her mission. She didn't fail often but when she did, she was left with an empty feeling. No accomplishment. Nothing. It wasn't as if she felt much anyways. Regardless, she still knew when she did a job right, and this time it seemed that she wouldn't acquire such an understanding.

" _She jumped over it?"_ He repeated dumbly. _"That's impossible. Without climbing it? Using any tools?"_

"I saw her do it." Widowmaker hissed through her teeth. "Do you distrust me?"

" _Yes."_ It's the simple truth. Reaper trusts no one.

"She also had shields. Barriers around herself that prevented me from killing her or the girl." Widowmaker informs. "Sombra was right about that. She also seemed to be prepared for me."

 _"Sombra._ " Reaper growls.

"Yes. Or someone else. Most likely her. Not many know of our mission."

" _She was always a wild card. I want you to look into what she's doing."_

"I have. She's been up to something ever since I first entered the country." Widowmaker said. "She's been up to shady activity. I think she plans to betray the mission."

 _"She knows the trouble she'll get into if she's caught._ " Reaper informs Widowmaker. _"There's something she wants. Otherwise she wouldn't be doing this so sloppily."_

"She's been looking into the Shepard woman." Widowmaker is quick to change the subject. "No records. Only articles based on rumors."

Reaper grunts. It's the only thing Widowmaker needs in order to know that he understands.

" _I also wanted to inform you that Overwatch activity has been located near your appointed area. This is no mere coincidence."_

Widowmaker sighed in exasperation.

"Did they catch on our trail?"

 _"No. We covered everything. Even Sombra."_

"Then what other reason would they be here?"

Reaper stays silent for a moment before stating, " _I have an idea. I still need to confirm it. Regardless stay out of the fight with the Roblado body-guard. You're at a disadvantage at close range and it seems she excels in fighting up close."_

"I will not be kept from my duty." Widowmaker hisses venomously.

 _"You will DO as I order."_

She stays silent.

"Fine." She says.

But Widowmaker wants to feel alive. She wants to kill Shepard with her own two hands because of the challenge the woman proved to be.

Talon comes first though.

She knew that.


	16. Chapter 16

Shepard had, naturally, been hesitant with the meet-up with Sombra. Shepard knew that she would eventually have to start taking risks and start stepping out of her comfort zone. (As if she weren't out of her comfort zone already, being on a different version of Earth, or at least a planet that was similar to it.) She had to arrange many things with her plans on leaving Katy's side. This would be the first time she would have to blindly trust her trainees to bodyguard Mr. Roblado's youngest daughter. Of course, they would still have supervision, and that supervision came in the form of a well-spoken omnic called Sin. Then she had to inform Mr. Roblado himself that she wasn't going to be in the mansion. She expressed her desires to go outside the gates for a break and he had approved her doing so. In exchange, she would accompany him on a future outing with his wife. A date, apparently, one that needed a bodyguard to shadow them.

Honestly, she had no clue as to why Mr. Roblado's family were targeted so closely. She had her suspicions. They could have political opponents that wanted to kill them or maybe they were apart of a mafia. If not a mafia then perhaps some sort of underworld business with black market dealings. Needless to say, her list of suspicions were long and extensive. She had no evidence to support any of them. Then again, she hadn't _tried_ investigating because she was often busy protecting Katy.

Shepard sighed as she tapped her foot impatiently on the concrete underneath her feet. Other than the soft lull of the rolling waves, her foot tapping was the only other noise she could hear. That soon changed as a technical whirl caught her hearing. She turns swiftly towards the noise. Her heart skips a few beats and she forces herself to calm. It would do her no good to think without a clear head. Sure, confronting a possible life-threatening problem gave her reason to feel a bit anxious, but she didn't need to let it get to her. She also didn't want to display the lack of confidence to her enemy. Sombra would surely take advantage of that if she found out about it. All Shepard had to do was play her part. This was a play and she was the lead actress. The facade she put on would be the key factor in fooling the Roblado intruder.

"You came! It warms my heart to see you accepted my invitation." Sombra places a hand over her heart though she doesn't look as sincere as her words pretend to be. "I bet it's because you saw my tip was true, wasn't it? So tell me, does Katy still live?"

Shepard says, "Wouldn't you know? That _was_ your accomplice, was it not?"

"Ah, yes, but we aren't exactly on great terms. We're just business partners." She informs Shepard. "Besides, she's a bit too… how do I say this…? Cold. For my tastes. Doesn't know how to take a joke."

"Right." Shepard stares blankly at the woman in front of her.

Sombra laughs in her twisted amusement.

"Chica, lighten up! Just pretend this is a talk between friends."

"Except, this isn't a talk among friends. It's an interrogation."

Sombra hums thoughtfully, "An interrogation you say? No… I'm not here to pound you with questions. The only thing I want is a deal. A trade, if you want to be specific."

"What could we possibly trade?" Shepard asks skeptically. "Katy is out of the question."

"Ah, _no._ This time, it's actually not about Katy." Sombra states. Her long fingernails tap on the skin-tight sleeves around her arm. "Though I'd still like what she possesses, what the _Roblados_ possess, I have a proposition that doesn't involve her. I'm more interested in _you._ "

Sombra smiles crookedly.

"I want your services. And before you say anything - _of course,_ you can't trust me. No one can trust anyone in this world. It's better to trust only yourself, especially in my line of business."

"It's not business. What you're doing is criminal." Shepard grounds out.

"For the greater good, I assure you." Sombra raises her hands up in defense. "You see, I'm apart of an organization called Talon. It's _definitely_ not a good group. According to the rest of the world's standards. They do dirty work. Create havoc. They aim for chaos and conflict. To make humanity stronger."

" _And_ you agree with this?" Shepard asks in disbelief. Every word she had heard escape Sombra's mouth was squashed by her strong sense of morality. So this group just created problems for the world because of wanting to make 'humanity stronger?' Shepard had to prevent her hands from shaking in rage. She _knew_ war. She _knew conflict._ Sometimes it felt unending and it killed people she was close to. It destroyed worlds - it morphed creatures into things they would never become willingly.

Shepard feels an oncoming headache.

 _Reapers._ She inwardly seethes. How she loathed them. Even after their death she still continues to think of them with a strong sense of burning hatred.

"Not necessarily." Sombra interrupts Shepard's thoughts. "I'm only with Talon because they help me achieve the means on which I need in order to gather information. They also provide ways to… fuel my addiction."

Sombra smirks.

"Regardless, I wanted your services because you aren't on the grid. No one knows you. No one can locate you. You don't exist. I could use a person like that to do my dirty work."

"I'm not one for _dirty work._ " Shepard says.

"No, but you're a mercenary." Sombra states. "And I can guarantee Katy's safety. You won't have to guard her anymore. I mean, you weren't planning to do so until she became an old woman, were you?"

"I mean… no… but…" Shepard trails off. She didn't plan to stay with Katy for long because she still needed to find out a way to get home. She wanted to know how her Earth was doing, how her crew was faring, and what happened to the Normandy. She wanted to see if the universe was truly purged from the Reapers. She wanted to know if her efforts were in vain or not. She wanted to know _so many things_ and here she stood with nothing.

"All I need is for you to investigate something for me. Something I can't hack." Sombra says. "You happen to also be something I can't hack, even though you display a clear technological ability that grants you odd powers. Perhaps you would be able to give me more insight on what stands in my way."

"What is this 'thing' you can't hack?" Shepard questions.

"Well, to put it simply, they call it The IRIS."

"And I'm supposed to know about this… how?"

"You don't have to know anything about it. You just have to obtain information for me. I can't say that you won't kill anyone, though. I expect you to do anything necessary to collect data on The IRIS."

"If I do this… and Katy really is protected…" Shepard trails off, "Could I ask for something in return?"

Sombra nods eagerly. "Of course! Anything you want. I can give it."

"I want information in exchange. I want to find out if dimensional travel is possible. I want all the information you can find on it. Theories and events. Whether the events be hoaxes or not, I don't care, I just want _everything_ that has to do with traveling throughout dimensions, or heck, even time." Shepard didn't feel right giving away her plans so easily. It felt like she was naked, revealing her desires to Sombra, a random woman she was risking everything on.

"Umm… huh… why…? You know what, nevermind. If it's out there, I can find it." Sombra stops her curiosity before it stretches too far. "I can do that. I'm assuming this means you're willing to agree?"

"That depends. How do you intend to protect Katy?" Shepard asks.

"I have a few people I know." Sombra shrugs nonchalantly "Plus a few of your trainees."

"Wait, you met up with Mateo's gang?"

"Yes. A couple of times, actually. They were eager on giving me all the fat juicy details on your schedule."

Shepard frowned.

Well, that was worrisome.

"What did you offer them?"

"The same thing. Protection." Sombra returns quickly. "Mr. Roblado has them all under his thumbs, after all."

"What do you mean?"

Sombra fakes a surprised gasp and says, "You mean, you don't know? Mr. Roblado is in some pretty shady business!" Her lips than quirk upwards in a mocking sneer. "Poor little Katy doesn't know her beloved daddy stored a microchip on the back of her neck, containing a treasure trove of information on all of his dealings, including a heap of technological blueprints of untested war weapons."

Shepard stiffens more so than before.

 _So that's what that metal object on the back of her neck was…_

"Why… would he do that?"

"He doesn't _care_ about Katy." Sombra laughs bitterly. "He cares about what's in her neck. Ultimately, I'm not sure why. Who knows? At least people target his daughter now instead of him. No worries for Mr. Roblado! Little Ms. Roblado has the whole underworld's eyes on her!"

"Well, if that's the case, I can't leave things here…" Shepard bites her bottom lip as she thinks about leaving Katy in her conditions. She was just a little girl… and…

"Why don't you kidnap her?" Sombra gives Shepard a toothy grin, placing one hand on her hip while doing so.

Shepard stays silent.

"Don't tell me you're actually considering it?"

"Well… if you can provide me solid proof… then…"

"Oh, I can do that." Sombra waves her hand in the air in dismissal. "Easy. All you would need to do is bring me Katy and I can activate the information on her chip."

"If I did that, how would I know you won't attack her?"

"You won't know." Sombra leans forward. Her face is now inches away from Shepards. "But what chances do I have attempting to attack her when she has miss bodyguard at her side? Someone I can't hack. Someone who is clearly, more capable of defending than I am in offensive attacking."

Shepard thinks of the implications. If she kidnapped Katy, that means Katy would be stuck by her side, unless she could find another place for her. She couldn't entrust her with Sombra… but… she couldn't just leave her at the Roblado's if all that Sombra said was true. Perhaps this was all just a lure though. A way to lead Shepard straight into a trap by presenting Katy on a platter straight to her enemies.

"I need some time to think about this." Shepard finally says. Though she was fond of Katy she didn't want the girl sticking by her side on a day-to-day basis in her dirty dealings. Assuming she does aid Sombra, that is. If there were only someone else… someone else she could depend on.

She missed her crew. _A lot._ It was hard being alone with no one you could trust.

"Fine by me. You'll find me here again next week. Same day. Same time."

Shepard nods.

"Alright. See you then."

Sombra smirks.

"Then adiós, amiga!" Sombra waves her hand in the air. Shepard watches as she pops from existence and wonders _how on Earth_ she managed to do that. It was definitely not something she was used to. She just evaporated from thin air. There were some things she really didn't understand on this world. One half was its history. The other was its technology. It was baffling how the omnics were a functioning species and how there were buildings created out of _light - and…_ there was so much more. While she would like to think her world was advanced, these humans were considerably doing well… especially for beings that apparently haven't had any alien contact. The only things she could find on alien encounters were rumors, conspiracy theories, and so on and so forth. Nothing there had provided actual evidence.

Shepard threw a hand over her helmet.

"Now how am I going to proceed with this?"

* * *

" _Talon activity in Spain, Italy, and Mexico-..."_

"And?"

 _"Overwatch activity located in Spain too."_

"You know we can't get involved."

 _"I know but I've found some interesting rumors. Tell me, have you ever heard of a woman named Shepard?"  
_  
"No."

 _"Ah - I see. Well, I met her not too long ago. She helped me escape."_

"And what does this have to do with Talon and Overwatch?"  
 _  
"They're both after her. Well... Overwatch doesn't know they're after her though. They think she's me."_

"I still don't see how this concerns us."

 _"She's with the Roblados. Jack."_

"Ah. There it is."

 _"We've been trying to find their whereabouts for weeks and Shepard just happens to work under a man under the name Roblado... with a daughter named Katy."_

 _"_ How did you come over this information?" Jack peers around a corner. He had been standing in the same position for a few minutes, waiting for his target to arrive.

 _"I gave her a skin-changer."_

"With a tracking device." Jack deadpanned.

" _With a tracking device,"_ Ana confirmed. _"She saw me, after all. I thought she was faking ignorance on who I was. She was too well equipped, too well trained, to not be apart of some sort of organization. Turns out she's a solo-act though. I feel foolish for doubting her, but it was all precaution."_

"It was a good move." Jack said, silencing himself when he heard footsteps echo against the buildings around the alleyway. They loomed over his target menacingly. A boy, with a gun in his hand, rushes forward towards one of the walls. He looks back and forth, side to side, before placing his hand on one of the stones.

A wall slides open.

Jack scowls.

 _Of course. A secret door._ It was always a secret door.

 _"I'm guessing you're busy?"_

"Yes. We'll talk more about finding this 'Shepard' person later."

" _Does that mean you're coming with me?"_

"Damn right." He growled. "The Roblados were my objective before we got side-tracked anyways."

" _You mean MY objective. You just tagged along."_

"We just both happened to be after the same thing." Jack grounded out. "Regardless, I need to go. I expect more info after I'm finished."

" _Sometimes you still act like Commander Morrison."_ Ana laughed, her voice filled with static over the earpiece placed in Jack's ear.

 _"_ Commander Morrison is dead." Jack grumbled.

 _"I wonder who I'm talking to then?"_ Ana teased.

Jack didn't respond.


End file.
